We all want a great, healthy smile. Who doesn't? We know we need to brush our teeth, use mouthwash to kill bacteria, and most of us floss regularly. That should be enough to keep our mouths healthy, right? Wrong. Have you ever been brushing your teeth, or flossing and seen blood in your sink? Like most people, you probably wrote it off as a simple irritation or thought you were brushing or flossing too roughly. While these explanations could be true, they are often rarely the cause of bleeding gums. According to Dr. Barry Dubin and his team of dental professionals at Dentistry For Life, bleeding gums can be a sign of a gum infection, the onset of gum disease, or other serious medical conditions. To see more about the mouth/body connection, check out this article on WebMD.

Here at Dentistry For Life, we see the terrible effects of the "just pull it out" mentality. Our philosophy has always been to save teeth whenever possible because dentures are just plain awful. But its worse than even we thought. It turns out your uncomfortable and ill-fitting old dentures are deadly as well. Why? Most denture adhesives contain zinc which leaches into the body causing zinc poisoning. Zinc poisoning depletes your copper levels resulting in the development of neuropathy and other neurological injuries. The symptoms can include the following: Numbness, Tingling or "pins and needles" sensation Muscled Weakness Unexplained pain Loss of Balance Difficulty Walking Loss of Sensation and Paralysis WOW! In fact, a number of lawsuits against denture adhesive manufacturers like Procter and Gamble (Fixodent) and GlaxoSmithKline (Poligrip) are being actively pursued. Check out some of these websites for details:

You probably already know that gum disease is a contributing factor to heart disease. The media has done a good job publicizing this - but did you know that the list of serious disease and health problems associated with gum disease continues to grow? Stroke; Diabetes; rheumatoid arthritis; low birthweight, pre-term, and still-born babies; upper respiratory infection; alzheimer's; and the latest - prostate disease. Keeping your gums healthy is definitely not just about saving your teeth - increasingly we are finding out that healthy gums lead to a healthy body whereas diseased gums can kill you - or your unborn child. See this news on MSNBC In fact, did you know that increased levels of hs-CRP (high sensitivity C-reactive Protein) which is always elevated in patients with gum disease is a better indicator of your risk for heart attack, strokes, autoimmune disorders, and other maladies than almost anything else

If you were covered at any time from March 15, 19914 through November 18, 2009 by medical or dental insurance with United HealthCare Corporation (now known as UnitedHealth Group), Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, American Airlines, Inc. and their subsidiaries and affiliates, you may have been contacted with a Notice of Proposed Settlement of Class Action and final Settlement Hearing. These insurance companies were accused by a host of organizations including the American Medical Association and the Civil Service Employees Association of providing insufficient reimbursement by using flawed databases to determine reimbursement amounts and by using internal policies to reduce reimbursement and of inadequately disclosing these methods. JFK Dental Care has been notified that the involved companies have proposed a settlement rather than have the case go further in the court system. The courts must approve their proposal which includes a cash set

Local Center City Philadelphia dentist, Dr. Barry Dubin, announces a new Patient-Centered staffing model at his practice at 1829 JFK Blvd. If you are one of our current patients, you will notice a difference in the staff that you see. The old staffing model and that used by most other dental practices assigns staff to specific tasks that need to be done within the practice: A "Receptionist" answers the phone; a "Scheduler" makes your appointments; a "Finance Manager" takes your payments; a "Dental Assistant" helps the dentist; and a "hygienist" cleans your teeth and takes care of your gums. In this old model, everything revolves around the office and the jobs that need to be done for the practice. This is obviously a PRACTICE centered model, and you - the patient - may see 6 or 7 different people in one visit and totally different people on your next visit. With so many hands i

Dr. Dubin, our dedicated Center City dentist, is considering the deadly statistic on oral cancer- which is ONE American dies every hour. Scary huh? Most people are very suprised to learn lives are lost to a disease that is totally curable when caught early. Are you at risk for oral cancer? Virtually EVERYONE is. Solution...get tested! Did you know the death rate in United States for oral cancer is higher than that of cervical cancer, Hodgkin's disease, cancer of the brain, liver, testes, kidney or ovary? More than 30,000 Americans will receive an oral cancer diagnosis this year. In five years, only 57% will still be alive. Here's the really scary part, 25% of oral cancer victims do not use tobacco or alcohol and have no other lifestyle risk factors. We offer a simple test called Vizilite Plus, this technology impr

Our patients are getting ready for summer by coming in for their annual check-up and regular preventative care. We have even had visitors from out of state schedule appointments with Dr. Dubin and JFK Dental Care. "They couldn't have done anything better, and your customer service is excellent!" (E.K. 06/11/08). We are so pleased that each and everyone one of you are taking you oral health seriously. During your recare appointments, our hygienist, Ruth, does an amazing job cleaning your teeth, providing an oral cancer screening (Vizilite), and checking for any restorative treatment needed. She wants to make sure your summer is full of fun and your smiling every day! We are so glad that each of us at JFK