Inland Institute Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery

As you may or may not know, July is officially National Ice Cream Month! While it is fun to go and grab ice cream from your local shop down the street, it can be more fun and rewarding to make your own ice cream for you and your family to enjoy. Ice cream is also a great treat to enjoy after different types of oral surgery. You don’t need an ice cream maker in order to make delicious, creamy ice cream. Just follow our instructions below!

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:

– 2 cups of milk
– 3 tablespoons of sugar
– 2 teaspoons of vanilla

Materials:

– 3-4 cups of ice
– 2/3 cup salt
– 1 quart sized Ziploc bag
– 1 gallon sized Ziploc freezer bag

Instructions:

– Combine milk, vanilla and sugar in quart sized bag
– Press any air out of bag and seal tightly
– Mix ice and salt in gallon sized bag
– Place quart sized bag into gallon sized bag and seal tightly
– Shake the bag vigorously for about 5 minutes.
– It will be very cold, be careful!
– Liquid inside smaller bag should start to harden
– Let bags sit for a few minutes with ice in large bag surrounding small bag
– Open bags up and scoop ice cream out
– Enjoy!!

As you can see, it isn’t hard to shake up some ice cream that the whole family can enjoy, using fairly standard household ingredients. Use chocolate/strawberry milk instead of regular milk to change the flavor, or use half and half for a creamier product. This year, celebrate National Ice Cream month by making your own ice cream at home!

Have you started to notice frown lines and crow’s feet around your eyes and are eager to do something about it? Maybe you are are thinking about Botox, but you aren’t sure what to expect.

It is very common to have questions before undergoing any procedure. We want you to know that we are always here to help, let’s start by clearing up some of those questions you might have.

What is Botox?

Botox is the only approved treatment to temporarily improve the appearance of both moderate and severe facial lines in adults. It works beneath the skin and is injected into your muscles to temporarily reduce muscle activity. You will begin to see results within 24 to 48 hours and it lasts up to 4 months.

Does Botox hurt?

Many people say the injection feels like a pinch. We may desensitize the treatment area with ice or a numbing cream for your comfort.

How long does the injection process take?

Botox is quick – typical injections take just about 10 minutes. But it largely depends on the areas you want treated, among other factors. We will discuss this with you during your initial consultation.

Will I look different after Botox treatment?

Initially, you may not notice any difference, but give it 24-48 hours, and you will begin to notice the crow’s feet and frown lines disappear. You will still look like yourself, but without the heavy wrinkling. Even better, you will feel like your youthful self again.

What is the recovery process?

This treatment is called a “lunchtime procedure” because it doesn’t require a lot of downtime and you are able to go about your day to day routine right after you leave the doctor’s office. In fact, many people go right back to work to finish out their day.

If you are interested in Botox and have more questions you would like to ask, Call Upland Office Phone Number 909-982-8888 and schedule a consultation!

Dental implants have a surprisingly rich and interesting history. Across centuries and throughout cultures around the world there is evidence of attempts at replacing missing teeth with various objects and materials.

The oldest dental implants can be traced back to 2000 BC in China, where missing teeth were substituted with bamboo pegs.

Fast forward a bit to around 1000 BC and you’ll find an ancient Egyptian King whose tomb was recently discovered along with his mummified remains; a copper peg hammered into place where a tooth once lived. This may have been the first time in history that we know of when metal implants were used.

Across the globe some time around 300 BC, an iron tooth was found in a French grave thought to be Celtic in origin. It is possible this implant may have been a post-mortem placement to honor the dead, as an attempt to perform the surgery using a live patient would have been an excruciatingly painful process.

Just 2000 years ago missing teeth were being substituted for animal teeth, and the poor were even selling their teeth to the wealthy, just to make ends meet! The body often rejected these surrogate teeth, causing infection.

More recently in 1931 in Honduras, Dr. Wilson Monroe and his wife found a jawbone amongst other artifacts, with teeth fashioned from shells and attached to the jawbone of an ancient man.

Today we are lucky enough to have dental implants that not only look and feel like real teeth, and anesthesia for the pain is also a plus. Thanks to studies conducted by Per-Ingvar Brånemark of Sweden in the 1950’s, oral surgeons have been able to perfect the process over the years to create today’s implants, which have a 98% success rate! Through a process known as osseointegration, metals and other implant materials are able to be skillfully placed so that your jaw bone actually attaches itself to the implant creating a seamless support system.

Missing a tooth or two? Give us a call at Upland Office Phone Number 909-982-8888 to discuss your dental implant options today!

Before plastic surgery, we want you to go into your consultation well prepared so that you can get the most information available, helping you make the decision that is right for you.

Below we have compiled a list of common questions that we hear from our patients that you may want to ask as well.

Questions about anesthesia:
Important questions to ask about local and general anesthesia include asking about the type of anesthesia, where it came from, and who will be administering it. It is important to know that your anesthesia administrator is experienced in order to prevent complications. We work with a certified anesthesiologist or registered nurse anesthetist to make sure that you receive the correct type and amount of anesthesia for your body type, age and size.

What will my procedure cost in total with all fees included?
This is an important question to ask, as the procedures are not usually covered by one’s insurance as they are elective in nature. While the cost of the procedure may have been advertised at a promotional price, there are often other fees to take into account such as anesthesia, operating room expenses, and materials (such as implants).
How many procedures of this type have you performed?
We want you to feel comfortable with our skills, so we are happy to share with you our experience in your particular procedure. As a more experienced surgeon, I have the experience needed to be able to truly assess your needs and give you a more comprehensive idea about whether plastic surgery is right for you.

Am I a good candidate for this procedure?
Just because an outcome of a procedure seems appealing to you doesn’t always mean that you are good candidate for that particular procedure. We all have different body types and medical needs, and often times there are multiple options for achieving the same results. We will discuss alternative options during your consultation.

How long of a recovery period can I expect, and what kind of help will I need during my recovery?
Many patients have concerns about recovery times and whether or not we will still be accessible to check in and make sure everything is still going smoothly months after their surgery. It is important to ask questions about the recovery process so that you can not only mentally prepare yourself, but also make arrangements to accommodate your recovery needs.

What are the risks and complications associated with my procedure? How are complications handled?
Some procedures can be more invasive, and therefor more risky than others. We have specific procedures in place for handling complications and asking these kinds of questions can help put your mind at ease if you are experiencing pre-op anxiety.

What results are reasonable for me to expect?
Every patient’s outcome will be unique, but you may be able to get a good idea about yours by looking at before and after photos of those who shared similar features as you before their surgery.

Asking the right questions is key to achieving the look you want, and will help take away some of the stress and doubts that you currently hold. Think you’re ready to take the next step? So do we! Call us today to set up a consultation!

BOTOX® can sometimes be a sensitive subject, particularly among the younger crowd. Most people associate BOTOX® with people 40 years and older, who are beginning to notice more wrinkles. But middle age is not the only time during which a person can receive BOTOX® treatment. Many doctors recommend that patients get BOTOX® at a younger age not only to remove wrinkles, but also to prevent them in the future.

There are benefits to getting BOTOX® done at any age, so what is the right age for you?

BOTOX® in your 20s: Having BOTOX® in your twenties doesn’t mean that you are full of wrinkles and facial lines already. Rather, it is done as a preventative measure. Doctors have begun recommending that people who are open to getting BOTOX® later in life should start in their mid to late 20s in order to prevent wrinkles from occurring in the future. This works by suspending movement of the muscles in the face that cause wrinkling. Consistent upkeep on your face will help lessen and decrease the likelihood of having significant wrinkles when you are older.

BOTOX® in your 30s: This decade is the time when wrinkles and facial lines can start becoming more noticeable on your face. Getting BOTOX® done on a regular basis throughout your thirties can have a significant improvement on the way your face looks and feels. It is critical to have BOTOX® done in your 30s in order to not only reduce the severity of future wrinkles, but to keep your face looking young and fresh.

BOTOX® in your 40s and on: Using BOTOX® regularly throughout your forties and beyond can definitely be beneficial to how your skin looks, but unfortunately you will not receive the same results as if you had started in your 30s. Starting BOTOX® at this stage in life can decrease the significance of your wrinkles, but it might take more facial work than just BOTOX® in order to get the results which you really want.

If you have any more questions about BOTOX® and what age is right for you to start getting treatments, feel free to contact us today!

March of Dimes
Premature babies are those that are born before the normal 37-week gestational period. These babies have various health issues, which can affect them over their lifetime. Sadly, some premature babies won’t make it – which is what March of Dimes aims to prevent.

What is March for Babies?
March for Babies supports the prevention and research of pre-term births through charitable walks in the month of march. The goal is to raise funds to help mothers give birth to healthy, full term babies while researching the possible causes and preventions of premature birth.

Why You Should Get Involved
Whether you’re a mother, father, kid, soon-to-be mother/father, know someone who’s been pregnant or is thinking about children – this affects you and you can make a difference. Becoming informed and learning more about premature babies is the first step.

How You Can Help
March for Babies makes it easy to help! Spread awareness about premature babies and encourage everyone around you to do the same. If you are interested in donating, rest assured that your money will go toward supporting premature babies through research into prevention and causes of premature birth.

You don’t need to donate money to help. Some other ways to contribute include:
• Getting informed by visiting the March for Babies website: https://www.marchforbabies.org/
• Raising awareness
• Walking in a local event

Donate a Homemade Hat to a Local Hospital
If you can knit or crochet and are interested in hand-making a preemie baby hat, consider donating one to a local hospital! Local hospitals are always in need of hats for babies and you can take pride in knowing that you are keeping a baby’s head warm.

Will you help us get the word out?

There is exciting news in bone grafting technology that will hopefully find its way into the oral surgeon’s office over the next decade! Researchers have been able to create a synthetic bone material using 3D printers that may be better than what is being used now.

3D printers create three-dimensional objects out of a variety of materials using a computer as a precise guide. Although the concept has been in the news a lot recently, the practice actually dates back to before the 21st century. In fact, 3d printing’s roots go back to the early 1980s. Since then, everything from jewelry to synthetic human organs has been printed, much to the amazement of modern society!

And now, surgeons have successfully implanted the 3D-printed synthetic bone grafting material into animals with bone defects. This “hyperelastic bone” was made using just the right combination of bioactive materials and polymers to make a material that could be layered while still wet, allowing for better adherence between layers.

Here are some of the expected benefits of this new material:

• Very elastic, allowing for cutting without crumbling, which can be a problem with current grafting materials.
• Blood vessels move in quickly because the material is porous.
• Biodegradable as the body replaces it with genuine tissue.
• Doesn’t dry out right away.
• So far the animals haven’t rejected the implant, which could mean less complications for humans as well.
• Could be a great option for children since it will grow with them.

While human trials are potentially five or more years away, the news is very exciting for the surgical community, and we are can’t wait to see what benefits this will bring to our patients.

To find out more about bone grafting in general or to set up a consultation with our office, please call us at Upland Office Phone Number 909-982-8888.

While it is true that the most obvious effect of missing teeth is a gap in your smile, missing teeth can cause other problems that you might not be immediately aware of. For example, did you know that for every missing tooth you have you lose 10 percent of your chewing ability? Read on to get a better idea of how a missing tooth can affect your life.

Surrounding Teeth
A missing tooth usually means more stress for the remaining teeth. In addition to that, if you are missing a tooth on the lower jaw, the opposing tooth on the top can grow longer to fill the gap in a process known as superuption or extrusion. This could lead to teeth tilting and move out of place by drifting into the space that was left by your missing tooth – a disaster for your beautiful smile!

Digestive Health
If you are missing teeth, you can’t enjoy all of the foods that you are used to eating – bad for your health and bad for your mood! Say goodbye to caramel apples, saltwater taffy, crunchy carrots and even gum. And because the variety in your diet is reduced when a tooth is missing, digestive problems are unfortunate yet common.

Decay and Hygiene Problems
The shifting of your teeth may cause new hygiene issues as it may be difficult to brush and floss like you normally would. This leaves your mouth more vulnerable to gum disease and tooth decay.

Facial Aesthetics
People with more than one missing tooth may also have issues with a collapsed bite which causes a loss of vertical dimension. This could make your face appear shorter, as the distance between the tip of your nose and your chin would decrease.

The good news is that you don’t have to suffer anymore! Dental implants can help you avoid all of the problems listed above and let you live your life normally again. It’s never too late for a dental implant, give us a call at Upland Office Phone Number 909-982-8888 to find out about this life-changing procedure.

Wisdom teeth were once an extremely valuable asset to our ancestors. When a typical diet consisted of chewy plants and uncooked meat, third molars (wisdom teeth), which fit easily into our ancestors’ larger jaws, were absolutely necessary. Wisdom teeth were the evolutionary answer to the need for chewing power to combat excessive wear.

Today, our diets are not as rough as those of our ancestors. With modern marvels like forks, spoons, and knives, as well as softer food, the need for wisdom teeth is virtually nonexistent. And yet, on average, about 65% of the human population is born with wisdom teeth which usually erupt between the ages 17 and 25.

Although wisdom teeth were incredibly advantageous for our ancestors, they pose a bit of a problem for the modern mouth. Humans have evolved to have smaller jaws, and so wisdom teeth are often either too big for the jaw or the jaws themselves are just too small. Either way, third molars crowd the mouth. Because of this lack of space, molars often grow sideways, only partially emerging from the gums, or actually get trapped inside the gums and jawbone.

These impacted wisdom teeth can be chronically contaminated with bacteria associated with infection, tooth decay, inflammation, and gum disease. And because they’re so far back in the mouth or trapped underneath gums, it’s difficult and sometimes impossible to keep them clean. Even when wisdom teeth come in fully, they are so far back in the mouth that it’s just too easy for food to get trapped, leading to plaque, cavities, and gum disease.

Although wisdom teeth were very important to our ancestors, nowadays, they pose a serious problem to oral health. Call David H. Gilbert DDS, MS, MBA to find out if your wisdom teeth are ready to come out!

Worldwide, over 550,000 new cases of Oral, Head and Neck cancer are diagnosed each year.

Oropharyngeal cancer is slightly different from oral cancer. Oropharyngeal cancers are related to HPV (Human papilloma virus) and usually occur in the tonsils or at the base of the tongue, while oral cancers are in the mouth and usually associated with tobacco use.

The Oral Cavity
The oral cavity incudes the lips, the inside lining of the lips and cheeks, the teeth, the gums, the front two-thirds of the tongue, the floor of the mouth below the tongue, and the bony roof of the mouth – also known as the hard palate.

The Orpharynx
Behind the wisdom teeth is considered the oropharynx, which is part of the throat just behind the mouth. It also includes the base of the tongue, the soft palate (back of the mouth), the tonsils, and the side and back wall of the throat.

Categories
Oral and Oropharyngeal cancers are sorted into 3 categories: Benign (non-cancerous), harmless growths that may develop into cancer, and cancerous tumors. This is why regular check-ups with your dental professional are key to your overall well-being.

The Team Involved
The treatment of head and neck cancers does not involve just your dental team, the assistance of many different professionals contributes is required. There may be surgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, dentists, nutritionists, and speech therapists all involved in your treatment.

Oral cancers are found as late stage three and four diseases about 66% of the time.
It is very important for you to check yourself at home as well as visiting your dentist.

Call David H. Gilbert DDS, MS, MBA to schedule your routine dental check up and oral cancer screening today.