January 2012 - Peter A. Pate, DDS

January 25, 2012

What’s in Your Mouth?

When you look at the inside of your mouth using a mirror, what do you see? There are many components that help your mouth stay healthy and function properly. Dr. Peter Pate can explain how to keep all the parts of your mouth healthy.

The Visual Parts

When you open your mouth, you can see a number of important features::

Teeth: The white part of a tooth is called the crown. The roots of your teeth are located under your gums, and help attach your teeth into your jaw bone. You may notice that your teeth are different shapes and sizes to help with different parts of chewing.
Gums: The pinkish tissue that supports your teeth is called your gums. When you look at your mouth, your teeth are attached to your gums. Red, swollen, or bleeding gums are signs of periodontal disease, which can eventually lead to tooth loss.
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January 24, 2012

What Happens When I Sleep?

Filed under: Healthy Living,Stop Snoring — Tags: atlanta dentist, atlanta family dentist, atlanta general dentist, atlanta sleep apnea, buckhead sleep apnea, healthy living atlanta, sleep apnea atlanta, sleep apnea buck head, sleep apnea dentist, sleep apnea vinnings, stop snoring atlanta, stop snoring buckhead — dr_pate @ 3:01 pm

In a previous blog post, we discussed the risks, causes, and symptoms of sleep apnea. Dr. Peter Pate offers his patients snoring and sleep apnea treatments. Scientists devote a lot of research to sleep. Although we spend nearly 30% of our life in bed, we are often unaware of the science of sleep. Below are a few interesting facts and trivia dedicated to what happens while we rest.

Facts You May Not Know About Sleep

Sleep is a necessity. Sleep deprivation can result in death before starvation. In as little as 10 days without sleep, you could be facing mortality.
There are four stages of sleep that you progress through in your sleep cycle. The deepest stages of sleep help your organs and tissues repair from daily damage
Outside of the four sleep stages, you enter Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep multiple times throughout the night
In the past, researchers believed that humans only dreamed during REM sleep. However, recent findings have shown that we dream throughout the night, but REM dreaming is more vivid and strange. (more…)

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January 23, 2012

Why Do I Need Fluoride?

Filed under: General Dentistry,Healthy Living — Tags: atlanta dental checkup, atlanta dental cleaning, atlanta dentist, atlanta family dentist, atlanta health, buckhead atlanta childrens dentist, buckhead atlanta dentist, buckhead atlanta family dentist, fluoride atlanta, fluoride buckhead, fluoride sandy springs, tooth decay atlanta, toothpaste atlanta — dr_pate @ 8:35 pm

Dr. Peter Pate and our team at Dentistry in Buckhead encourage the use of fluoride in our patients’ oral health regimens. You have probably heard countless times from your parents, dentists, and toothpaste commercials that fluoride is essential to guarding your teeth against dental problems. Although this may seem like common knowledge, fluoride and its history in the use of dentistry is scientifically proven to protect your mouth from harmful bacteria and plaque.

What is Fluoride?

Fluoride is a natural mineral widely distributed in nature. Read more about it here. In the middle of the 20^th century, after conclusive research, the United States and many countries in Europe began adding small amounts of fluoride to city water supplies. Although the amount is miniscule, the overall oral health of the country has improved. (more…)

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January 20, 2012

Smiling is Good for You

Filed under: Cosmetic Dentistry,Healthy Living — Tags: atlanta cosmetic dentist, atlanta health, atlanta smile makeover, buckhead atlanta cosmetic dentist, buckhead cosmetic dentist, cosmetic dentist atlanta, cosmetic dentist buckhead, healthy living atlanta, smile makeover atlanta, smile makeover buckhead — dr_pate @ 4:24 pm

Psychologists and physiologists have been studying the science behind smiling. Smiles increase your perceived attractiveness, enhance personal relationships, and help you in all aspects of your life. Non-verbal communication is an integral part of our daily lives and smiles are one of the most powerful forms of unspoken interaction between people. With just a simple smile, you can make others feel happier and more comfortable around you. Below are a few facts about smiles.

Fun Smile Facts

It takes fewer muscles to smile than it does to frown. Being grumpy is more work!
Smiling is universal among people throughout the world.
When you smile, your body releases endorphins which boost your mood and energy.
Females tend to smile more often than males.
Newborn babies are even able to smile.
People with a pleasant smile are more likely to be promoted in their careers.
Forcing a smile can lower stress levels which then positively affects your immune system and blood pressure.
If you smile often, people will smile back. Psychologists believe we mimic the behavior of people around us. (more…)

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January 19, 2012

It’s Easy Being Green!

Unlike Kermit, we think it's easy being green! (Image from muppet.wikia.com)

At Dentistry in Buckhead, we make it a priority to conserve the environment as we care for our patients’ smiles. Atlanta dentist Dr. Peter Pate and his team want to keep Atlanta beautiful while keeping the smiles of you and your family beautiful as well.

Go Green

To do this, we employ a number of green practices, not only in the way we provide dental care for our patients, but also in our front office. Our green practices include:

Recycling: You’d be amazed at how much waste a dentist office produces. To do our part and help the environment, we abide by a multi-faceted waste and recycling system. First, we recycle anything and everything that is recyclable by taking it to local recycling centers. Second, we use products produced from recycled materials whenever possible, and this includes some of the products used in your dental care. We’ve found that it’s healthier for you and the environment if we use disposable and recyclable dental tools when available. After your appointment, we discard these tools, creating a cleaner, more sanitary environment for you and less non-decomposable waste for the planet.
Chartless: While we’re still in the process of going completely paperless, we are chartless! To maintain this standard, we use an advanced system of digital records and claim filing to reduce paper waste. This system is also more efficient and convenient for you as our patient. With digital files, your records can easily be shared between us and your other medical care providers, as well as with your insurance company for easy filing. (more…)

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January 18, 2012

How Do I Know If I Have Sleep Apnea?

Filed under: Healthy Living,Stop Snoring — Tags: atlanta general dentist, atlanta sleep apnea, atlanta stop snoring, buckhead dentist, buckhead stop snoring, dr. pate sleep apnea, healthy living atlanta, sleep apnea atlanta, stop snoring atlanta, stop snoring buckhead — dr_pate @ 6:44 pm

Did you know that Dr. Peter Pate treats patients with sleep apnea? In addition to general and cosmetic dentistry, he provides treatment for sleepy Atlantans, too!

What is sleep apnea?

Over 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea and over 40% of adults snore when they sleep. As we learn more about this sleep disorder, we have discovered that sleep apnea is more common than we thought. While you are sleeping, the soft tissues in your mouth relax. As these tissues relax, they can cause obstruction of your airways. Most patients with sleep apnea are disrupted by breathing cessation during their rest. For a few seconds, or even longer than a minute, you can stop breathing. During the short periods throughout the night that you stop breathing, you awaken from sleep. Some patients also experience choking and gasping during these periods. (more…)

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January 5, 2012

What Do Your Teeth Say About You?

Filed under: Family Dentistry,Fun Dental Facts — Tags: atlanta dentist, atlanta family dentist, atlanta general dentist, buckhead dentist, buckhead family dentist, buckhead general dentist, dental health, dentist atlanta, dentist buckhead, going to the dentist, oral health, preventive dentist atlanta, preventive dentist buckhead, teeth and personality, tooth shape — dr_pate @ 6:42 pm

Your smile says a lot about you. It’s a proven fact that people with attractive, healthy smiles are perceived to be friendly and intelligent and are more likely to be promoted at work, earn more money, and have personal and professional success.

Buckhead dentist Dr. Peter Pate knows the importance of a beautiful and healthy smile. Take a look at the dental characteristics below and see if your dental traits match your personality traits.

The Shape of Your Teeth

Your front two top teeth are called the central incisors and serve as the center of your smile. They also indicate age. Younger people tend to have rectangular-shaped central incisors with rounded corners, while the central incisors of older people often become square with square corners as they shorten with age.

The teeth to the immediate left and right of your central incisors are called lateral incisors, and they indicate gender. Women have lateral incisors that are slightly shorter than the central incisors and rounded at the tips. Men, on the other hand, tend to have lateral incisors that are close to the same length as the central incisors and are more square-shaped. (more…)

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