Sequoyah Dental Arts

Featured Before and After

SDA is very excited to welcome Dr. Whitt Moss as an associate to our practice. Dr. Moss received his dental degree from the University of Tennessee’s Dental School. Upon graduation he joined a residency at the UT Medical Center where he received advanced dental training with an emphasis in comprehensive care.

Since completing his training Dr. Moss has enjoyed practicing in Kingsport and Norris, but has always been set on returning to Knoxville. When he is not watching the Volunteers play, Dr. Moss loves the nearby outdoors activities of East Tennessee. Dr. Moss is an active member of the American Dental Association and the Academy of General Dentistry.

During the summer, Dr Moss will be working closely with Dr. Foncea as he gets to know all of you. Then, Dr. Foncea will be taking his family to Guatemala for the school year. They will spend the year seeing another culture up close, serving the people of Guatemala and learning the Spanish language. Many of you have heard him talk about his dental mission trips to Central American with his kids. After much thought and prayer the Fonceas have decided that spending this school year serving and studying is what they are being called to do. They will return in the summer of 2013 so that their son can begin his senior year and their daughter can begin her sophomore year at their current school, Christian Academy of Knoxville.

Dr. Foncea will be coming back to Tennessee throughout the year to work at the office, but he is very pleased that Dr. Moss will be able to effectively and compassionately take care of everyone in his absence. We will keep you posted on Dr. Fonceas mission adventures by updating the website and our Facebook page with their photos! He hopes to be able to share with all of you the work they are doing there.

A recent study found that an increase in the consumption of sports and energy drinks, especially among teenagers and young adults, is the cause of irreversible damage to teeth. The high acidity levels in the drinks erode the glossy outer layer or enamel of the teeth.

Many young adults consume these drinks to increase sports performance and energy levels thinking that they are better than soda. But what they don’t realize is that these drinks are bathing their teeth in acid.As many as 30 to 50 percent of U.S. teens consume energy drinks and as many as 62 percent consume at least one sports drink per day. While both type of drinks are potentially harmful to teeth, the research shows that energy drinks cause twice as much damage as sports drinks.

The damage caused to enamel is not repairable and without enamel the teeth become overly sensitive and prone to cavities. As dental professionals we often see these problems with teens and we realize the problem after reviewing their diet and snacking habits. It is important to educate parents and teens so that they can make informed choices.

While these seemingly harmless drinks can cause permanent damage to teeth, there are some ways to reduce the risk to your teeth. First of all, minimize your intake of sports and energy drinks. If you do consume them, chew sugarless gum or rinse your mouth with water immediately following consumption. Both of these tactics increase saliva and help return normal acidity levels to the mouth. Also, you should wait at least one hour to brush your teeth after consuming these drinks. Brushing too soon will spread the acid and increase the erosive action.As dental professionals, it is important educate parents and teens about the problems associated with consumption of these types of drinks.

2719 Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN 37919