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Thursday, December 30, 2010

What Can A New Zealand Reptile Tell Us About False Teeth?

Using a moving 3D computer model based on the skull and teeth of a New Zealand reptile called tuatara, a BBSRC-funded team from the University of Hull, University College London and the Hull York Medical School has revealed how damage to dental implants and jaw joints may be prevented by sophisticated interplay between our jaws, muscles and brain. This research will appear in a future edition of the Journal of Biomechanics.

The tuatara is a lizard-like reptile that has iconic status in its homeland of New Zealand because its ancestors were widespread at the time of the dinosaurs. Unlike mammals and crocodiles which have teeth held in sockets by a flexible ligament, tuatara have teeth that are fused to their jaw bone - they have no ligament, much like modern dental implants.

BBSRC postdoctoral fellow Dr Neil Curtis from the University of Hull said "Humans and many other animals prevent damage to their teeth and jaws when eating because the ligament that holds each tooth in place also feeds back to the brain to warn against biting too hard."

Dr Marc Jones from UCL, also a BBSRC postdoctoral fellow, added "In the sugar-rich western world many people end up losing their teeth and have to live with dentures or dental implants instead. They've also lost the periodontal ligament that would attach their teeth so we wanted to know how their brains can tell what's going on when they are eating."

The team has created a 3-D computer model of the skull of the tuatara to investigate the feedback that occurs between the jaw joints and muscles in a creature that lacks periodontal ligaments. "Tuataras live happily for over 60 years in the wild without replacing their teeth because they have the ability to unconsciously measure the forces in their jaw joint and adjust the strength of the jaw muscle contractions accordingly", said Dr Curtis.

Although this explains why tuatara and people with false teeth manage not to break their teeth and don't end up with jaw joint disorders, it is still clear that having a periodontal ligament is very useful, in particular for fine tuning chewing movements. This may explain why it has evolved independently in the ancestors of mammals, crocodiles, dinosaurs, and even some fish.

There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that people with implants and dentures may make food choices related to their lack of periodontal ligament. However, the tuatara pursues a broad diet on the islands where they live including beetles, spiders, snails, frogs and occasionally young seabirds.

Professor Douglas Kell, BBSRC Chief Executive said "To support the extension of health and wellbeing into old age, it is vital that we appreciate how we as human beings have developed our extraordinary ability to adapt to adverse situations. This work allows us to understand some of the complexities of the feedback and responses occurring in healthy human bodies and brains. It is impossible in evolution to predict future innovations such as dental implants and yet this research indicates a level of redundancy in our biology that opens opportunities to support long term health and wellbeing."
Source: Nancy Mendoza- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

Who Hasn't Had Dental Cavities?

A research study has for the first time revealed data about dental cavities, periodontal disease, oral treatment needs, the use of dental prostheses and dental hygiene habits among the adult population in the Valencia region. The results show that 90% of people have cavities and 20-35% need prostheses.

"These data will make it possible to draw comparisons with other studies carried out in other autonomous regions and nationwide ones", José Manuel Almerich, co-author of the study and a scientist at the University of Valencia (UV), tells SINC.

The study, published in the journal Medicina Oral, Patología Oral y Cirugía Bucal, for the first time provides data about the situation with regard to cavities, periodontal disease, oral treatment requirements and the use of dental prostheses in two age cohorts (35-44 and 65-74) in the adult population of Valencia. The study also includes an analysis of these people's oral hygiene habits.

The prevalence of cavities was above 90% in the two samples studies. Social class and educational levels have an impact on the presence of cavities, with those with lower social and education levels having more cavities. Nationality also has an impact, with foreigners having more untreated cavities.

Among the people aged 65 to 74, 20.7% are 'totally toothless'. "From these data we can deduce that the dental status of the institutionalized geriatric population is significantly worse than that of elderly adults living in their homes", says Almerich.

In terms of periodontal disease, the second most prevalent problem, the most disadvantaged social classes again present the worst health status, while the need for dental prostheses fluctuates between 20-35% for the entire population studied, increasing in the older age group.

Bad habits starting in childhood

The study confirms our poor dental hygiene habits and rare visits to the dentist. "Preventive efforts should be aimed at raising awareness about the need for early diagnosis of problems and the best possible oral hygiene", the Valencian researcher suggests.

The findings of this study underline the need to improve dental care among adults. The authors highlight the need to develop new policies that will improve prevention as well as dental care measures "that will make it possible to improve the bucodental map within a few years".

Source: Plataforma SINC 

Want To Be Sexy? Improve Your Oral Hygiene

If you're thinking about being romantic tonight, you might want to make sure your oral hygiene is in check. Based on a new survey, oral hygiene is significantly preferred over the traditional romantic overtures to set the mood, such as dimming the lights, lighting candles, wearing perfume or playing romantic music.

"The results of this study reinforced some of what we already knew - that most consumers simply don't like to floss with string - but we were surprised at how important oral hygiene was in order to be attractive to your significant other"

The national survey, which was fielded by Kelton Research, examined Americans' views on oral healthcare and revealed that a clean mouth was most important in maintaining a healthy relationship. Close to six in ten, or 59 percent, would be most disturbed by their partner not brushing or flossing his or her teeth for a week, as compared to only 24 percent who would be most perturbed if their significant other passed on wearing deodorant. Far fewer were bothered by their partner skipping shaving, hair combing or trimming toe nails for a week, at nine percent, six percent and two percent, respectively.

The Waterpik® Sexy Smile Survey also found that while they are quick to judge the flossing habits of their significant others, the majority of Americans actually have a lot of ups and downs in their own relationship with floss. Key findings on flossing and oral healthcare include:

- Only When I'm Desperate. Americans are most likely to floss just before visiting the dentist (51 percent), and when they have food stuck in between their teeth or have
bad breath (64 percent), which could mean their mouths are not as fresh as they should be most other times!

- Below Grade. Nearly six in ten (58 percent) Americans say they deserve a C or lower for the efforts they make to floss their teeth on a daily basis. In fact, about one in five (18 percent) give themselves a failing grade.

- Unpleasant Act. Among people who floss their teeth, close to six in ten (57 percent) say that floss makes their gums bleed, it gets stuck between their teeth, (52 percent), and it caused little bits of food to fly onto the mirror (42 percent). Yuck!

- We Want an Alternative. In fact, Americans would pay an average of $53 for an alternative to regular string floss (which you can usually get for free from your dentist) if it meant that the process was faster, easier and more effective.

"The results of this study reinforced some of what we already knew - that most consumers simply don't like to floss with string - but we were surprised at how important oral hygiene was in order to be attractive to your significant other," said Jay McCulloch, Vice President of Marketing for Water Pik Oral Health Products.

About The Water Survey

The Waterpik® Sexy Smile Survey was conducted by Kelton Research between September 10 and September 16, 2010 among 1,001 U.S. adults using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas are set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total U.S. population ages 18 and over. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.

Source: Kelton Research- Water Pik, Inc. 

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

When Stress Takes a Toll on Your Teeth

With economic pressures affecting millions of Americans, dentists may have noticed a drop in patients opting for a brighter smile, but they are seeing another phenomenon: a rise in the number of teeth grinders.

"I'm seeing a lot more people that are anxious, stressed out and very concerned about their financial futures and they're taking it out on their teeth," said Dr. Steven Butensky, a dentist with a specialty in prosthodontics (aesthetic, implant and reconstructive dentistry) in Manhattan.
One of his patients lost hundreds of thousands of dollars invested with Bernard L. Madoff. Another reported that he had lost a job with a seven-figure salary. A third, a single mother with a floral design business on Long Island, said she was working twice as hard for half as much.
"All three are grinders, directly affected by what's going on out there," Dr. Butensky said, gesturing outside his Midtown office window.

Dr. Robert Rawdin, another Manhattan dentist with a specialty in prosthodontics, said he had seen 20 to 25 percent more patients with teeth grinding symptoms in the last year. And in San Diego, Dr. Gerald McCracken said that over the last 18 months his number of cases had more than doubled. They, along with other dentists interviewed for this article, chalk it up to the economy.
"We're finding in a lot of double-income families, we have the people who have lost jobs and are worried, and then we have the spouse, who still has the job, with the added pressure and uncertainty," Dr. McCracken said. "This can cause some real grinding at night."

With or without economic hardship, 10 to 15 percent of adult Americans moderately to severely grind their teeth, according to Dr. Matthew Messina, a dentist in Cleveland and a consumer adviser for the American Dental Association.

Because it is a subconscious muscle activity, most grinders grind without realizing it, until a symptom such as a fragmented tooth or facial soreness occurs.

While many experts believe that genetics may play a role in bruxism (or teeth grinding), stress has long been known to set off clenching and grinding in some people, Dr. Messina said. "Recession breeds stress and our body responds to stressful events so in times like these, the incidence of bruxism goes up," he said, adding that over the last year or so he had heard from dentists around the country who had seen an uptick in patients with bruxism while also complaining about financial stress. In his own practice, he said he had treated twice as many cases in the last year than in the year before.

"Stress, whether it's real or perceived, causes flight-or-fight hormones to release in the body," he said. "Those released stress hormones mobilize energy, causing isometric activity, which is muscle movement, because that built-up energy has to be released in some way."

The most expensive option for rebuilding teeth damaged by grinding is with veneers, but this year, dentists say that many of their bruxism patients are requesting one of the least costly treatments: a night guard, also known as an occlusal splint. Manufacturers said sales of these devices had gone up. "Our night guard sales have increased 15 percent over the prior year," said Greg Pelissier, a manager at Glidewell Laboratories, a maker of custom restorative, reconstructive and cosmetic dental products based in Newport Beach, Calif.


New drugstore products have also come to market, including a disposable night guard, Grind-No-More (about $30 for 14 guards). Its makers hope it will appeal to on-again-off-again grinders.
Stan Goff, executive editor of Dental Products Report, a monthly publication, wrote in an e-mail message that all this teeth grinding "may be playing a role in the introduction of several new products designed to not only prevent bruxism, but to help fight against tooth sensitivity" and other conditions that are aggravated by grinding.

While experts believe bruxism is not a dental disorder per se, but rather originates in the central nervous system, the condition can greatly affect the teeth and the entire craniofacial structure.
"Normally, we exert about 20 to 30 pounds per square inch on our back molars when we chew," Dr. Rawdin said. "But teeth grinders, especially at night without restraint, can exert up to as much as 200 pounds per square inch on their teeth."

Some nocturnal grinders will grind up to 40 minutes of every hour of sleep. The relentless wear and tear can quickly erode enamel (10 times faster than that of nongrinders), fracture teeth, affect bite and damage the temporomandibular joint at the hinge of the jaw, and the masseter muscle, which controls the jaws. Jaw and face pain, as well as earaches and headaches, may also occur.
"I kind of thought I was going crazy," said Adrienne Lee Kornstein, 48, a patient of Dr. Butensky, whose floral design business in Jericho, N.Y., has suffered because of the economy. "A tooth broke for what seemed like no reason, and by the time I got to Dr. Butensky, I'd been to my physician, other dentists, even a dermatologist to try to get relief from migraines and facial pain I was taking painkillers for. I had no idea I was grinding or that grinding your teeth could even lead to all that."
The most common treatment for the disorder is to wear a night guard, which may not only alleviate grinding but, in some cases, train someone to stop grinding altogether.

Fitted in the dentist's office, a custom guard is usually a clear, hard plastic device that runs over the top or lower teeth from front to back and prevents the top and bottom molars from making contact. Although not cheap (the price can range from $350 to $1,000), most dentists prefer a custom guard to over-the-counter guards, which are usually made of softer material and can encourage chewing and exacerbate masseter muscle activity.

There are also smaller prefabricated splints that a dentist can customize. These are generally cheaper than the fitted full arch guards and require fewer adjustments. But some dentists argue they are not as effective as the full arch guards.

Many teeth grinders interviewed said they would not go to bed without their night guards.
"Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and having my guard in makes me more aware if I'm tensing my body or gripping my jaw, and I can just take a moment to relax," said Alisa Fastenberg, 50, a graphic designer in Manhattan.

Other treatments for teeth grinding include acupuncture, medical massage, hypnosis and Botox injections into the masseter muscle to relax the muscle enough to stop it from going into spasms without changing one's chewing function.

"Grinding is like body building," said Dr. Alexander Rivkin, a head and neck surgeon at Westside Aesthetics in Los Angeles, who has also seen an increase in grinding-related cases this past year. "The constant workout of the masseter muscle, the largest in the head, builds up that muscle and that can cause a lot of pain, not to mention make the face appear more square."
He added, "For, I'd say, 85 percent of the people who come to me complaining about headaches, jaw soreness and pain, Botox injections into the masseter muscle on both sides of the face is the answer."

But even something as simple as taking time before bed to de-stress has been known to help.
"Good sleep hygiene goes a long way to keeping the mind relaxed and the jaws from starting to smack together," said Dr. McCracken, who has studied the relation of sleep to teeth grinding. "We know that the stress center of the brain is directly next to the part of the brain that controls teeth grinding. We're not sure how it relates to the disorder, but it's intriguing. Lately, I even tell my patients, before they go to bed, not to watch the news."

By: CAMILLE SWEENEY

Why It's So Hard to Tell Which Tooth Has the Ache

When it comes to a toothache, the brain doesn't discriminate. A new imaging study shows that to the brain, a painful upper tooth feels a lot like a painful lower tooth. The results, which will be published in the journal Pain, help explain why patients are notoriously bad at pinpointing a toothache.

For the most part, humans are exquisitely tuned to pain. The brain can immediately distinguish between a splinter in the index finger and a paper cut on the thumb, even though the digits are next-door neighbors. But in the mouth this can be more difficult, depending where and how intense the ache is.

"We don't know much about tooth pain," comments dentist and neuroscientist Alexandre DaSilva of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, who was not part of the new research. The new study is one of the first to address the puzzle of toothache localization, he says.

In the study, researchers led by Clemens Forster of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany analyzed brain activity in healthy - and brave - volunteers as they experienced tooth pain. The researchers delivered short electrical pulses to either the upper left canine tooth (the pointy one) or the lower left canine tooth in the subjects. These bursts of electrical stimulation produced a painful sensation similar to that felt when biting into an ice cube, Forster says, and were tuned such that the subject always rated the pain to be about 60 percent, with 100 percent being the worst pain imaginable.

To see how the brain responds to pain emanating from different teeth, the researchers used fMRI to monitor changes in activity when the upper tooth or the lower tooth was zapped. "At the beginning, we expected a good difference, but that was not the case," Forster says.

Many brain regions responded to top and bottom tooth pain - carried by signals from two distinct branches of a fiber called the trigeminal nerve - in the same way. The V2 branch carries pain signals from the upper jaw, and the V3 branch carries pain signals from the lower jaw.

In particular, the researchers found that regions in the cerebral cortex, including the somatosensory cortex, the insular cortex and the cingulate cortex, all behaved similarly for both toothaches. These brain regions are known to play important roles in the pain projection system, yet none showed major differences between the two toothaches. "The activation was more or less the same," Forster says, although he adds that their experiments might have missed subtle differences that could account for why some tooth pain can be localized.

Because the same regions were active in both toothaches, the brain - and the person - couldn't tell where the pain was coming from. "Dentists should be aware that patients aren't always able to locate the pain," Forster says. "There are physiological and anatomical reasons for that."
DaSilva agrees that the brain's inability to tell top-tooth pain from bottom-tooth pain "pairs really well with what we see in the clinic."

Understanding the pathway from tooth to brain may help researchers devise better treatments for acute tooth pain, such as cavities or infections, and more-chronic conditions, DaSilva says. One such condition is phantom pain that persists in the mouth after a tooth has been removed.

By, Laura Sanders, Science News

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Tongue Piercings Associated With Gap Between Teeth

'Playing' with a pierced tongue stud could lead to a gap between the front teeth - according to a new study. The Research, which was carried out at the University at Buffalo in New York, suggested that tongue piercings could be a major cause of unnecessary orthodontic issues. 

The report claimed that those with tongue piercings were likely to push the metal stud up against their teeth and consequently cause gaps and other problems to arise. 

Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, said the study highlighted the risks that tongue piercings have on oral health. 

Dr Carter said: "It's certainly something to think about before going out to get a tongue piercing. The temptation of playing with the stud in the mouth would be very high and in time this could lead to hundreds of dollars worth of corrective treatment. 

"The results of this study stress the risks that are associated with tongue piercings. As well as causing an apparent gap, oral piercings can also lead to chipped teeth and infection. 

"In order to avoid such health problems in the future, along with the spiralling costs of any related treatment, I would advise people to stay clear of tongue piercings." 

Lead author of the study, Sawsan Tabbaa, said that 'force, over time, moves teeth' and that the results are caused by people playing with their studs crop up in a 'very high percent of the cases'. 

A professor of orthodontics at the University at Buffalo School Of Dental Medicine, Tabbaa, explained that tooth damage was common in both past and current case studies. 

The current study featured a 26 year-old female patient and showed that a space between the upper front teeth had appeared during a period of seven years, as the metal bar was pushed against and between the teeth. 

The patient provided researchers with photographs to show that she had no diastema before having her tongue pierced. It was strongly thought that positioning of the tongue stud between the maxillary central incisors caused the midline space between the front teeth. 

The only solution was for the patient to wear braces for an extensive period of time. 

The author concluded that tongue piercings could result in serious injuries, not just to teeth but said they have also been associated with hemorrhages, infections, trauma to the gums and, in the worst cases, brain abscesses. 

The results of the study were published in the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics. 

Source: British Dental Health Foundation 

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Can Green Tea Strengthen Teeth?

Researchers suspect antimicrobial molecules contained within green tea helps preserve teeth (as long as you don't add sugar).
  • People aged 40-64 who drank one cup of green tea a day were less likely to lose teeth.
  • Drinking unsweetened coffee had no effect on keeping teeth.
  • Antimicrobial molecules called catechins may account for green tea's benefits.
A cup of green tea a day may keep the dentist away.

That's the finding of new research published in Preventive Medicine. The findings show that drinking at least one cup of green tea a day increases the odds of keeping your teeth as you age.
The researchers suspect that antimicrobial molecules called catechins present in green tea and in lesser amounts in oolong tea provide the benefit. But be careful if you like your tea with sugar: sweetener may negate the effect, the team found.

"Green tea may have bacteriocidal effects, which would affect teeth, but only if you drink it without sugar," said Alfredo Morabia, of Columbia University in New York and editor of Preventive Medicine, who wrote an editorial accompanying the new research.

"They also reported that drinking sweet coffee was actually deleterious," he added. "Coffee alone had no problem, but sweet coffee would actually make you lose your teeth."

Yasushi Koyama of the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine and colleagues looked at more than 25,000 Japanese men and women between age 40 and 64 in making the determination.
They found that men who drank at least one cup of tea a day were 19 percent less likely to have fewer than 20 teeth (a full set including wisdom teeth is 32) than those who did not drink green tea. Tea-drinking women had 13 percent lower odds.

One possible explanation for the benefits of tea drinking is that warm drinks wash out your mouth. But coffee, which also provides a mouth rinse, had no benefit, suggesting something else is going on.

Catechins have been shown to kill mouth bacteria associated with tooth decay and gum disease, so the researchers suspect this is what gives green tea its dental benefits.

"Previous research has indicated that regular consumption of green tea may lead to a lower instance of periodontal disease, a leading cause of tooth loss in adults," said Samuel Low of the University of Florida College of Dentistry and President of the American Academy of Periodontology in a statement to Discovery News.

Maintaining healthy teeth and gums is part of maintaining a healthy body, Low said. "That is why it is so important to find simple ways to boost periodontal health, such as regularly drinking green tea -- something already known to possess certain health-related benefits."

Monday, August 2, 2010

Toothaches- causes, home remedies, and treatment

“Tooth ache” can be generally regarded as pain around a particular tooth, teeth or jaws. Tooth pain can range from mild discomfort or sensitivity to being excruciatingly painful. Some women have even compared toothpain to being as painful as child birth. Of course, these might be exaggerated claims from some desperate women, but it does reflect the intensity of the pain arising from a toothache.
The actual pain we feel is due to the irritation of the nerves which are associated with the tooth/teeth. If you didn’t know, nerves are responsible for carrying sensations like heat, cold, touch and PAIN to the brain. In this case when the nerves inside the tooth are irritated, these carry the pain impulse to the brain.

Causes of toothpain

Most of the causes of tooth pain are limited to oral/dental causes.
The oral causes of toothpain are
  • Tooth Decay or Cavity (being the most common cause of tooth pain)
The most common cause of tooth pain is Tooth Decay. Tooth decay is the degradation of the tooth due to harmful acids secreted by bacteria in the oral cavity.
  • Gum Disease
The next important causing agent of tooth pain is gum disease. Poor oral hygiene leads to bacterial plaque accumulation and the toxins release from these bacteria damage the gums. The gums become swollen, red and painful (Gingivitis). If gum disease is not controlled early, you are at a risk of losing your tooth.
  • Root Sensitivity
Root sensitivity (commonly termed as tooth sensitivity) is when the roots of the teeth become exposed due to recession of the gums. The roots are very sensitive and respond with pain to reasonably hot or cold foods.
  • Cracked teeth
A painful accidental blow or extreme biting force can cause the tooth fracture which can become a source of intense pain whenever the fractured tooth is even touched.
  • Temporomandibular joint(TMJ) Disorder
TMJ disorder is an inflammatory reaction at the sight of the lodgment of the lower jaw at the skull. Various factors such as Bruxism (Night grinding or teeth grinding), arthritis can cause TMJ disorders.
  • Wisdom tooth eruption or impaction
The eruption of a wisdom tooth often causes pain due to its misalignement. It can become impacted (does not erupt) and require surgical extraction.
  • Fillings:
People who have undergone fillings can get severe toothache suddenly. This might be because of the spread of the decay to the pulp and you will need to undergo root canal treatment for that. It can also occur due to accumulation of fluid with organic debris and bacteria between the filling and your teeth often termed as microleakage in dental jargon.
The non-oral causes include Ear and Sinus infections .

Prevention of toothpain

There is no magic trick to prevent tooth pain from occurring. All you need to do is maintain a good oral hygiene.

Home remedies for toothpain

There isn’t a fixed time for toothpain to occur. You can’t drive to your dentist at 3 am at night. However, you can surf the net looking for home remedies. Although, these should not be substituted for a visit to the dentist, they can provide temporary relief from the agonizing pain.
I have not tried any of them and do not suggest their use either. They are listed here for informational purposes only
1. Sensodyne Therapy: Works for tooth cavities
  1. Rinse your mouth with warm water.
  2. Put max strength sensodyne toothpaste on the cavity.
  3. You can feel the pain relief after few minutes.
The effect will decrease when you drink water or other liquids after putting the sensodyne.
2. The Whiskey BC Mix: Works for nearly all tooth pains and is quite effective. Note that this can be nasty when you try it.
  1. Add teaspoon of baking soda in a shot of Whiskey.
  2. Dissolve a packet of BC pain relief powder in the above mix.
  3. Swish around the affected tooth for two minutes.
Try this if you have unmanageable tooth pain and you cant get health care right away.
3. Nyquil therapy: Lots of people swear by this fast and effective trick. It works very well indeed and I have quite a few people thanking me for this one.
Take half a teaspoon of Nyquil or Kroger Nitetime (cold/flu syrups) and swish around the affected area.
Other
Try sucking at a clove or put clove oil on the affected tooth.
Place a raw piece of onion on the affected tooth.

Treatment for Tooth Pain

The treatments for toothpain vary greatly. They treat the actual cause of your tooth pain. For example
If you have tooth decay, you will have to undergo a filling procedure.
If the tooth decay has reached your pulp, you would have to undergo a root canal procedure.
If you have impacted wisdom teeth, they need to be extracted.
Your dentist will determine the best treatment option for you after examining you.

Monday, July 26, 2010

We subconsciously connect a dull smile with age

We subconsciously connect a dull smile with age — enamel wears over time, darkening our teeth. A bright smile, on the other hand, gives the impression of good health and youth. One quick anti-aging beauty tip: Cut back on teeth-staining habits such as drinking coffee and red wine and smoking cigarettes.

But oral health habits are much more than skin-deep. Every day, it seems like another new study links oral health problems to other big health issues such as heart disease, premature birth, and erectile dysfunction. Of course, taking care of your chompers starts with daily brushing and flossing and regular dentist checkups — something we're not all so diligent about. About 17% of adults admit to never flossing, according to one report, and about 25% of adults ages 35 to 59 have untreated tooth decay. But even if you're a dentist's dream patient, there are other surprising habits to start — and to skip — for a prettier, healthier smile. Here, 10 simple steps to try today:

Limit carbs to mealtimes
Even not-so-sweet treats — like a handful of potato chips or a whole wheat roll — can be as damaging to your teeth and gums as a double-fudge brownie, if you're not careful.
That's because all carbohydrates break down into simple sugars, which are ultimately converted by bacteria in the mouth into plaque, a sticky residue that is the primary trigger of gum disease and cavities. Carb-based foods such as breads and crackers tend to have a chewy, adhesive texture, making it easier for them to get caught between teeth or under the gum line, where bacteria can then accumulate, says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
Smile Rx: Have carbs at mealtimes rather than as a snack: When you eat a larger amount of food, you produce more saliva, which helps wash food particles away.

Don't drink and brush
Here's one time when you shouldn't clean your teeth: right after you drink a soda or other acidic beverage, says Mary Hayes, DDS, spokesperson for the Chicago Dental Society: Acid in the drink, combined with the abrasive action of brushing, can erode your tooth enamel.
Smile Rx: To protect your pearly whites against the caustic compounds in soda, sip water or chew gum to activate acid-neutralizing saliva — then brush your teeth. It's also smart to follow the same routine if you have chronic heartburn, which keeps your mouth in an acidic state.

Increase your C intake
Vitamin C is the cement that holds all of your cells together.
"So just as it's vital for your skin, it's important for the health of your gum tissue," says Paula Shannon Jones, DDS, spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry. People who consumed less than 60 mg per day of C (8 ounces of orange juice or one orange contains more than 80 mg) were 25% more likely to have gum disease than people who took in 180 mg or more, according to a study of more than 12,000 US adults conducted at the State University of New York University at Buffalo.
Smile Rx: Add a daily glass of OJ to your breakfast routine, and make sure your multi meets the RDA for vitamin C.

Have tea
The antioxidants are good for your gums.
Black and green teas contain polyphenols, antioxidant plant compounds that prevent plaque from adhering to your teeth and help reduce your chances of developing cavities and gum disease. "Tea also has potential for reducing bad breath because it inhibits the growth of the bacteria that cause the odor," explains Christine D. Wu, PhD, professor and director of caries research at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, who has conducted several studies on tea and oral health. Many teas also contain fluoride (from the leaves and the water it's steeped in), which helps protect tooth enamel from decay and promotes healthy teeth.
Smile Rx: Steep a cup every afternoon. Added bonus: a bit of caffeine for a postlunch perk.

Sip with a straw
Soda junkies, listen up! Most sodas, sports drinks, and juices contain acids, such as citric and phosphoric, that can erode dental enamel — even if they're diet or sugar-free versions. Sipping acidic drinks through a straw positioned toward the back of your mouth limits their contact with your teeth and helps preserve the enamel, says a study in the British Dental Journal. 
Smile Rx: Stock up on straws in your desk drawer at work and kitchen at home so you always have one handy.

Boost calcium consumption
The same way the mineral makes for strong bones, it's also necessary to protect your pearly whites. People who get at least 800 mg a day are less likely to develop severe gum disease, says a study by the Buffalo researchers. The reason: About 99% of the calcium in your body is in your bones and teeth. Dietary calcium — available in foods like cheese, milk, and yogurt — strengthens the alveolar bone in the jaw, which helps hold your teeth in place.
Eat up! A few simple changes to your diet can help keep your teeth healthy for life.
Smile Rx: The recommended amount is 1,000 mg per day for women younger than 51 and 1,200 mg for those older. A calcium supplement could do the trick, but you should aim to get as much as you can from your diet. You get about 300 mg each from an 8-ounce glass of milk, a 6-ounce yogurt, or a 1.5- to 2-ounce serving of cheese.

Protect your smile when you swim
It sounds surprising, but dental researchers have found that excessively chlorinated pool water can erode and stain tooth enamel.
If you're a frequent swimmer, pack a toothbrush along with your towel when you take your next dip. "More chlorine in a pool may equal more protection against bacteria, but overdoing it lowers the pool's pH level and makes it dangerously acidic," says Matt Messina, DDS, consumer advisor for the American Dental Association.
Smile Rx: Brush your teeth and use a fluoride rinse immediately after spending more than an hour in the pool. "If you're swimming a lot and have any tooth discomfort whatsoever, check with your dentist," adds Messina.

Have an apple a day
Yep, it helps keep the dentist away too.
Crunchy foods, including apples, celery, and carrots, act like little toothbrushes when you chew them, and they actually help scrub away stubborn stains over time. The cleansing effect on your teeth may be noticeable — if ever so slightly — especially if you're a coffee drinker who wasn't eating apples every day to begin with. "The mildly acidic nature and astringent quality of apples, combined with their rough, fiber-rich flesh, makes them the ideal food for cleansing and brightening teeth," explains Jeff Golub-Evans, DDS, founding president of the New York Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.
Smile Rx: If you start eating an apple a day as a between-meal snack and don't get the chance to brush your teeth afterward, be sure to chase it with a glass of water to rinse away the sugar, acid, and any plaque it may have removed from your enamel.


Smooch your partner
From the who-knew school of thought: Kissing your mate can also help safeguard your grin.
Although you enjoy a kiss for other reasons, it also increases saliva in your mouth, which cleans your teeth of the bacteria that can cause cavities, according to Anne Murray, DDS, a spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry,
Smile Rx: Consider this a healthy excuse to pucker up! But don't sweat it if you have no one to kiss. Sugar-free gum with xylitol will also do the trick.

Go for whole grains
Whole grains are like dental insurance, suggests research from McMaster University, Canada.
Add this to the laundry list of their benefits, which include keeping your heart healthy, preventing diabetes, and more: Whole grains keep teeth healthier longer. Among 34,000 men studied for 14 years, those who ate at least three daily whole grain servings were 23% less likely to suffer tooth-loosening gum inflammation (periodontitis) than those averaging fewer than one. Eating more whole grains helps stabilize blood sugar levels, which has been shown to reduce periodontitis in diabetics.
Smile Rx: Swap white rice and regular pasta for brown and whole wheat versions. Check labels to make sure brown rice or whole grains are listed as the first ingredient.


Gum Disease linked with gestational diabetes risk

Pregnant women with gum disease may be more likely to develop gestational diabetes than those with healthy gums, researchers have found.

Gestational diabetes arises during pregnancy and usually resolves after the baby is born, but it can raise a woman's risk of developing type 2 diabetes later on. It can also contribute to problems during pregnancy and delivery, including maternal high blood pressure and a larger-than-normal baby, which may necessitate a cesarean section.

The new findings, published in the Journal of Dental Research, suggest that gum disease may be a treatable risk factor for gestational diabetes.

Among pregnant women researchers followed, the 8% who developed gestational diabetes had higher levels of gum-disease-causing bacteria and inflammation.
Gum disease can trigger an inflammatory response not only in the gums, but throughout the body. It's possible that such inflammation may exacerbate any pregnancy-related impairment in blood sugar control, contributing to gestational diabetes in some women, the researchers speculate.

Past studies have also linked gum disease to a higher risk of premature birth, with one theory being that systemic inflammation is involved.

Of the 265 women in the study, 83% were Hispanic, a group that is at higher-than-average risk of both gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes. The women who developed gestational diabetes were also significantly more likely to be heavier before they became pregnant, have had gestational diabetes before, and higher C reactive protein levels, a marker for inflammation and cardiovascular disease.

"In addition to its potential role in preterm delivery, evidence that gum disease may also contribute to gestational diabetes suggests that women should see a dentist if they plan to get pregnant, and after becoming pregnant," Dr. Ananda P. Dasanayake, the lead researcher on the study, said in a statement.

"Treating gum disease during pregnancy has been shown to be safe and effective in improving women's oral health and minimizing potential risks," added Dasanayake, a professor at the New York University College of Dentistry.

Future studies, Dasanayake noted, should investigate the link between gum disease and gestational diabetes in other high-risk groups, such as Asian and Native American women.

Journal of Dental Research

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Your Dentist Knows Your Heart

I've had a number of patients say to me, "Doctor, my dentist says I should get my heart checked out, what does a dentist know about hearts?" Then after some tests, I have to tell my patients, that, yes, their dentist was right, they have a heart problem. There is definitely a gum-heart connection and that connection is inflammation. Untreated chronic inflammation can lead to severe health complications.

This is how it happens. When you consume anything, residue collects on your teeth, and this residue forms plaque. Plaque is a sticky deposit of mucus, food particles and bacteria formed at the base of your teeth within hours of eating. If you don't remove the plaque it can cause gingivitis, the collection of plaque in pockets between swollen gums and the base of your teeth.

Gingivitis is also the source of bad breath. Left untreated, gingivitis can lead to periodontal disease; also know as gum disease. Your mouth has the highest concentration of bacteria in your body under normal conditions, but if you have gum disease, the bacteria count gets even higher. Inflamed gums present a good portal for bacteria to enter your bloodstream and move on to your heart. There it can damage your heart walls or values. It might also provoke blood-clotting, leading to stroke or a heart attack.

The Good News is - You Can Stop Gum Disease At Your Bathroom Sink
Gum disease is one of the easiest preventable diseases out there. Yet some 50 percent of the adult population has gum problems. Good dental hygiene can eliminate or slow gum disease and all it takes is making a conscious effort to brushing your teeth after every meal and flossing before you go to bed.
Here are the steps recommended by the American Dental Association

Brushing Your Teeth
  • Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle against the gums.
  • Move the brush back and forth gently in short (tooth-wide) strokes.
  • Brush the outer tooth surfaces, the inner tooth surfaces, and the chewing surfaces of teeth.
  • Use the "toe" of the brush to clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, using a gentle up-and-down stroke.
  • Brush your tongue to remove bacteria and freshen your breath.
Flossing Your Teeth
  • Break off about 18 inches of floss and wind most of it around one of your middle fingers. Wind the remaining floss around the same finger of the opposite hand. This finger will take up the floss as it becomes dirty. Hold the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers.
  • Guide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion. Never snap the floss into the gums.
  • When the floss reaches the gum line, curve it into a C shape against one tooth. Gently slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth.
  • Hold the floss tightly against the tooth. Gently rub the side of the tooth, moving the floss away from the gum with up and down motions.
  • Repeat this method on the rest of your teeth. Don't forget the back side of your last tooth.
Nutrients for a Healthy Smile
Nutrition plays an important role in gum health. Crunchy fruit and vegetables can actually clean your teeth as you are eating, and the acid delays the formation of plaque. Vitamins A, C, D, E and K and the B vitamins; folic acid; biotin; choline; calcium; zinc; and magnesium have all been found important for your oral health.

Two dietary supplements, coenzyme Q10 and aloe vera, are helpful to gum health. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) may help with periodontal pocket depth. In early research, Dr. Edward G. Wilkinson, of the U.S. AirForce Medical Center, gave patients 50 mg of CoQ10 a day. His patients experienced reduced periodontal pocket depth. Wilkinson said, "Treatment of periodontitis with coenzyme Q10 should be considered as an adjunctive treatment with current dental practice." Later studies have reconfirmed this. Hanioka, et al., say "These results suggest that the topical application of CoQ10 improves adult periodontitis" (Molecular Aspects of Medicine. 1994. 15 Suppl)

Aloe vera is known to kill bacteria. Dr. Eugene R. Zimmerman and Dr. Ruth A. Sims have (Aloe Vera of America Archives, Stabilized Aloe Vera, Vol. I) noted that aloe does have bactericidal properties. This means it may be useful in periodontal disease, which is a bacterial infection. Simply rub the liquid or gel on the gums.

When you take care of your gums and teeth, you are helping yourself on many levels. Superficially, you will retain your beautiful, white-toothed, smile. Your breath will smell sweet. Moreover, your heart and   arteries will have an added protection against the onslaught of bacteria.

Institute For Healthy Aging