You go to bed early, wake up at a reasonable hour, yet still feel completely un-refreshed and ill-equipped to tackle the commitments of a new day. Your significant-other, or perhaps family members sleeping nearby, complain regarding your exuberant snoring.

If you can relate to these situations, have you considered you might suffer from sleep apnea?

Sleep Apnea Facts

While not everyone who snores suffers from sleep apnea, according to the American Sleep Apnea Association (ASAA), some 20 million adults are affected by this condition. Other studies suggest another 10 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea but lack the official diagnosis.

Obstructive sleep apnea is the most widespread form of sleep apnea. This means the flow of vital oxygen into your lungs by way of your mouth and nose is significantly hindered. Breathing can become shallow or even stop during frequent episodes that may last an average of 10 to 20 seconds each. Such pauses can occur 20 or more times in a single hour, resulting in disrupted sleep that leaves your body fatigued. (By the way, breathing does generally regulate temporarily after the sleeper subconsciously gives a “choking cough” or “loud snort”).

Sleep Apnea and Your Health

Future studies will no doubt shed even greater light on the subject, but there is a number of health risks already linked with obstructive sleep apnea. These include:

• Heart Disease
• Type 2 Diabetes
• High Blood Pressure
• Memory Loss
• Adult Asthma
• Weight Gain and Obesity
• Increased Likelihood of a Car Accident
• Depression
• Stroke

Resolving Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea is no laughing matter! With specialized training, our San Antonio dentists are in a position to return to you a refreshed smile. Utilizing our uniquely crafted mandibular advancement devices (mouthguards), the position of your jaw can be adjusted to allow optimum air intake; reducing or eliminating snoring, and promoting the restful sleep your body craves.

Put your sleep issues to rest and book a sleep apnea consultation with us today!

Do you know of someone who snores like crazy? Do yourself and your loved one a favor by sharing this info with them.

Be Creative: Do you have a family member who snores? How would you describe the sound they make?

The post Wake Up! Exposing Hidden Dangers of Sleep Apnea appeared first on Lee Dental Centers.

Our Lee Dental Centers team attended the Texas Dental Association Meeting on Friday, and we attended a variety of courses including:

• Esthetic Dentistry for younger patients – Learned how to fabricate stainless steel crowns for children, how to utilize celluloid strip crowns for children, and the indications and techniques for microabrasion for teens.
• Current topics in periodontics – This includes a review of the latest techniques, understand socket preservation, and treatment planning options.
• Most recent techniques in cosmetic dentistry.

How does this matter to you?

Attending these continued education courses affects all of our patients. Dentistry has advanced enormously over the years to benefit the health and comforts for patients worldwide. If we are not staying up-to-date with the latest techniques and procedure, then we are not serving you and our patients.

We attend these worthwhile meetings for the community because we care not only for their oral health, but for their well-being as well. Thank you all for your support for us and our leading dentists in San Antonio, and we will continue to return the favor by attending these events.

The post How Attending the Texas Dental Association Benefits You appeared first on Lee Dental Centers.

For $5, you can have a fiesta with the Leon Springs and Hill Country community. Fun for both you and the family, you all can enjoy:

• Games
• Food booths
• Live music
• Refreshments
• Fun entertainment

Be sure to look for your fun dentists in San Antonia because the Lee Dental Centers team will be handling the ticket sales. This event is a great cause where it’ll support Leon Springs Business Association charities including:

• LSBA scholarship
• Hill Country Daily Bread Ministries
• Morgan’s Wonderland
• Arms of Hope
• Leon Springs Fire Department
• And much more!

Come have fun and support a great cause! We hope to see you at the Leon Springs Night!

The post Are You Going to Have Fun for a Worthy Cause? appeared first on Lee Dental Centers.

April 15th is Tax Day

This is the last day to file your taxes! After a whole year of giving a third of your paycheck to the government, you can finally see your hard earned dime land right into your bank account. How should you spend your extra cash?

Why not gain the smile of your dreams? Each San Antonio dentist at Lee Dental Centers, offers phenomenal cosmetic dentistry to craft beautiful smiles. With your tax return, consider these cosmetic options for your smile:

• Porcelain veneers
• Teeth whitening
• Bonding

Treat yourself by investing your generous tax return in cosmetic dentistry. We feel confident your new smile will look beautiful as it is healthy!

Give Thanks to Mother Earth

April 22 is Earth Day. Take the time to step back from your busy schedule and entrance yourself with Earth’s natural beauty and environment. In fact, San Antonio is already supporting the environment and the health of the community by putting together the Earth Day event. On Saturday, April 20, meander to Woodlawn Lake to sample vegetarian food, watch tree planting demonstrations, visit workshops demonstrating different energy ideas, and run a 5K.

Spend a day outside, embrace mother Earth, and remember to pick up any litter you might find to show your appreciation for the environment.

We love the community as much as you do. Please share this important information with your friends and families; we appreciate your support!

What are your plans for Earth Day? Have you already spent your tax return? Share your thoughts with by commenting below!

The post How Are You Making April Worthwhile? Let Us Give You Some Ideas appeared first on Lee Dental Centers.

Most patients normally encounter some degree of apprehension when it comes to visiting the dentist. For others though, this anxiety can develop into a paralyzing fear that prevents them from pursuing necessary professional dental care, to the detriment of their oral health even.

What’s Holding You Back?

• Are any of the following factors preventing you from receiving vital dental treatment, or smile-enhancing cosmetic procedures?
• An extremely sensitive gag reflex.
• Anxiety over potential needles, drilling, or pain involved in some procedures.
• Concern of discomfort from having your mouth open for an extended period of time.
• Bad dental experiences in the past.
• Sensitive teeth.
• A physical disorder that makes sitting difficult.
• The necessity of complex, or even multiple dental procedures.

Putting Dental Fear To Rest

Dental phobias shouldn’t dictate the condition, and beauty your pearly whites are left in. That’s why we offer the option of sedation dentistry  to put such dental anxieties to rest, and to keep your smile in tip-top shape. Sedation dentistry in San Antonio is a safe, relaxing procedure that’s been endorsed by the American Dental Association (ADA), and will help you feel calm, and at ease throughout your dental experience.

Regardless of whether you require a simple cleaning, extensive dental work, or even multiple procedures, sedation dentistry has the ability to alleviate your anxieties. Sit back, relax, and start enjoying the many benefits that a dazzling, healthy looking smile can bring.

How about you? What’s your biggest fear about visiting the dentist?

The post Put Dental Anxiety to Rest With Sedation Dentistry appeared first on Lee Dental Centers.

Learning the Oral Systemic Link

For years, the medical and dental fields were two separate entities where health connections were nonexistent between the oral cavity and the rest of the body. However, this is not the case.

Multiple studies have indicated inflammation and infections in your mouth can spread and harm other parts of your body. Our course focused how periodontitis affects overall health, and there’s evidence periodontal disease vastly increases your chances of cardiovascular disease, some cancers, diabetes, respiratory disease, and much more.

The course covered the following areas:

• Learning about the diseases that have the oral connection
• Get the latest information about the correlation of periodontal disease and non-oral disease
• Raise awareness of the importance of thorough intraoral/extraoral examination
• Learn about multiple medications and their effects on oral tissue
• Incorporate the role of diet in the disease process

Dianne Glasscoe Waterson did a wonderful job speaking at this course, and we will incorporate what we learned into your dental plan. Each dentist in our San Antonio office will take the time to educate you about the importance of maintaining your oral health to live a quality life.

Contact our dental offices today to see how you can protect your body from periodontal disease!

The post Learning About the Mouth-Body Connection appeared first on Lee Dental Centers.

However, what your young ones consume on a daily basis can have a huge impact on their oral health, as well as their overall wellness. Unfortunately, unhealthy snacks are often readily available, and require very little prep-time before serving. More though, should be involved in what you feed your child than just taste or convenience.

There are many ways to help protect your children’s oral health. Dentistry.net provides excellent tips on teaching your children good oral health. Those lessons include: benefit of brushing, flossing daily, proper clean-up after sweets, and start oral care early.

At Lee Dental Centers, each family dentist in our San Antonio office will teach you how to protect and teach your children’s oral health. Consider four straight-forward steps to take to help protect your child’s smile and promote a healthy body.

1. Educating Your Child—Children are far more likely to do something if they understand why they should do it. Help your children to understand the importance of their teeth, and why they need to be protected. Instill good oral health habits from a young age, teaching them how to brush and floss, as well as why they need to keep up the routine.

2. Controlling Sugar Intake—When your child consumes sugar is an important factor to consider. Each time children consume sugary food choices, their teeth are under attack for several minutes afterwards, weakening their protective tooth enamel over time. Saliva production increases while eating meals, neutralizing acid production and the effect that sugar has on the teeth. Therefore, wait until during mealtime to provide them with sugary drinks or foods, if they’re even offered at all.

3. Offering Healthy Alternatives—Limit the number of times your child’s teeth are exposed to damage by not allowing them to constantly snack on sugar-based products throughout the day. Offering nutritious snack alternatives and using water as the beverage of choice between meals will promote healthier bodies and teeth.

4. Set a Good Example—Children love to copy what they see you as a parent doing, so it’s vital you take the lead in promoting healthy teeth and gums. Eat healthy, allow them to see you brush and floss, and speak positively to them about the benefits of going to the dentist. Show them that your oral health matters by scheduling regular dental visits for both you and your children.

Pass on to your children the gift of happy, healthy smiles by following these four important steps. To help you along the way, we proudly offer family dentistry that can provide the education and professional services to meet the dental needs of your entire family. Please contact us today!

What about you? Do you find it difficult to come up with healthy food and beverage choices that your child enjoys?

The post Four Simple Steps to Protect Your Child’s Oral Health appeared first on Lee Dental Centers.

Your smile is the gateway to your personality, and shouldn’t be hidden from the world and your soul mate. When your loved one flashes your extravagant gifts, effortlessly show off your smile with our dentists’ exquisite cosmetic dentistry.

Each dentist in our San Antonio office has mastered their cosmetic dentistry skills to provide the best results especially for the big Valentine’s Day date. They have perfected a wide scope of dentistry skills including veneers, teeth whitening, and bonding to help boost your confidence and change your life.

You are ready for the big date, and were one of the lucky 35 million who received a heart-shaped box of chocolates. Your Hollywood smile shines, and displays your love. While the chocolate melts deliciously in your mouth, remember to keep up with your dental care by brushing and flossing away the chocolate debris to prevent cavities and tooth decay.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day right by showing off your bright “I love you” smile. Call Lee Dental Centers today to schedule your personal consultation.

What are your plans for Valentine’s Day? Share your thoughts by commenting below!

The post Let Your Smile Shine for Your Valentine appeared first on Lee Dental Centers.

According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentsitry (AACD), 99% of people believe a beautiful and healthy smile is an important social asset to acquire. In fact, majority of people wish to improve their smile by making it whiter and brighter. But, why can’t our smiles stay white?

Stated by the AACD, tooth discoloration happens internally and externally of your teeth, which is caused by various factors. Internal tooth discoloration happens because of changes in the enamel and the dentin. This causes the teeth to darken naturally especially as we age. The main causes of internal tooth discoloration are high levels of fluoride, antibiotics, tooth decay, restorations, root canal issues, and trauma.

External teeth discoloration can happen because of the intake of staining foods and tobacco. Some staining foods include black tea, red wine, coffee, and red sauces. The best way to think of it is: If it can stain your clothes, it’ll stain your teeth.

Having a whiter and brighter smile can boost your confidence, and Lee Dental Centers can help. Call today to schedule a personal consultation and let Lee Dental Centers educate you how to maintain a bright, healthy smile!

The post Learn The Reason for Tooth Discoloration appeared first on Lee Dental Centers.

You can ensure your smile’s vitality is in good hands. Doctors from Lee Dental Centers offer exquisite and revolutionary cosmetic and general dentistry to all their patients. Some of those services include:

• Teeth whitening
• Full mouth rehabilitation
• Implant dentistry
• Crowns
• Children’s dentistry
• Porcelain veneers

Of course, the doctors need your help to make your year worthwhile and healthy. Along with seeing your local dentists, make sure you incorporate healthy habits into your daily routine. Remember to brush and floss daily. No matter how old this phrase may be, it’s extremely important to program this habit into your brain. Three out of four adults receive some form of periodontal disease, making it the common reason for tooth loss. However, it’s highly preventable if you continuously brush and floss every day.

Make sure your diet is a healthy one. Fruits, dairy, and vegetables all have essential elements that not only provide your body its appropriate nutrients, it’s also nature’s toothbrush keeping your teeth clean. Dairy products such as cheese, milk, and yogurt all have calcium, which promotes strong bones and teeth. Any crunchy fruits and vegetables such as apples and carrots help remove plaque from the teeth by generating salvia and washing away the debris.

Welcome the year 2013 by caring for your body and oral health to ensure a healthy lifestyle. Call Lee Dental Centers today to schedule your personal consultation and share your dental goals for 2013.

Do you have any resolutions for 2013? Share them by commenting below!

The post Get a Healthy Start of 2013 By Visiting Your Local Dentists appeared first on Lee Dental Centers.