Celebrating Dr. Una Chung’s Engagement to Dr. Sam Koo

One Sunday afternoon last May, Sam arrived at Una’s apartment dressed casually in gym shorts and a t-shirt. He carried a bouquet of flowers in one hand, and an engagement ring hidden behind a package of paper towels (which she’d asked him to pick-up) in the other. He gave her the flowers, dropped to one knee, and popped the question. Somewhere, in the midst of her laughs at his nonchalant, yet sweet proposal, he heard a “Yes!”

Dr. Sam Koo recently moved to Indianapolis to pursue a fellowship in Hand surgery after completed his Orthopaedic residency in June of this year. Dr. Chung and Dr. Koo will marry in her hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio this November 20th, 2010. She will then move to Indianapolis to join Sam.

While we are sad to lose Dr. Chung’s talents at Atlanta Dental Solutions, our team couldn’t be happier for her and Dr. Koo’s new life together. We’ve already begun searching for a partner that is the perfect fit with our team and patients, and in the meantime all patient care will be seamlessly transferred to Dr. Becker. Dr. Chung’s last day with us will be November 4th, 2010.

We wish Dr. Chung and Dr. Koo much happiness and many blessings! We will be keeping up to date with Dr. Chung on the Atlanta Dental Solutions Facebook page, so please join our family and “like” our page to receive regular updates!

Omega-3 may combat mouth bacteria, boost oral health

Recently, an article was published on the dental health benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids of marine and plant origin. A new study from the University of Kentucky reveals that all types of food-borne omega-3 fats (like tuna, walnuts and spinach) cut the numbers of oral disease bacteria by half or more.

The study found that "the dental health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids of marine and plant origin have been found to have strong anti-bacterial activity against a range of oral pathogens and "may include anti-bacterial effects, extending the benefits beyond inflammation." The doctors involved in the study said that they planned to conduct further studies needed to prove that omega-3s acids work to benefit oral health. While this is encouraging news, we wanted to remind you that diet, hygiene, and other factors, are key to improving your oral health. Remember to consult us at Atlanta Dental Solutions if you have any questions about your diet and the effect it can have on your oral health.

Bottled Water May Be Behind Tooth Troubles

We at Atlanta Dental Solutions want you to know that as more families turn to bottled water and away from the tap, they may be missing out on one important ingredient that most brands of bottled water fail to include: fluoride!

As of 2005, bottled water is second only to soft drinks as the most popular drink in the United States, beating out milk, juice, and – more significantly – tap water. Between 2001 and 2006, the amount of bottled water sold in the U.S. rose an average of 10% per year. And many dental health specialists point to bottled water’s increased popularity as the culprit behind rising rates of cavities.

Because fluoride helps strengthen teeth, it is an important component of maintaining good oral health. The benefits of fluoride were noticed in the early part of the twentieth century, when researchers found communities with low levels of tooth decay. It turned out that these towns had measurable levels (around 1 part per million) of fluoride in their drinking water.

Beginning in the 1940s, communities have fluoridated their water supplies, and dentists have seen a significant decline in cavities ever since. The American Dental Association endorses both community water fluoridation and the use of fluoride-containing products as a safe means of preventing tooth decay. Between tap water and toothpaste, most of us get sufficient amounts of fluoride.

But if your family avoids fluoridated tap water in favor of ever-more-popular bottled water, you could be missing out on the levels of fluoride necessary to make a difference in your oral health.

If bottled water is your water of choice, check the label to make sure that your brand contains fluoride. As of a 2006 decision, the FDA allows bottled water containing .6 to 1.0 milligrams per liter of fluoride to carry a label stating that fluoridated water may reduce the risk of dental cavities or tooth decay. The ADA has backed this decision.

Of course, simply drinking fluoridated water is not a magic ticket to perfect teeth. To keep your choppers in tip-top shape, it’s important to brush and floss daily and avoid sugary sweets, in addition to maintaining your fluoride intake and visiting us at Atlanta Dental Solutions regularly.