Social Consequences Associated with Gum Disease.

Gum Disease has far-reaching consequences that many overlook or feel are not significant problems to address. Even though many people may suffer from various forms of gum disease, few realize how others can perceive their ailment. While gingivitis may not seem like a significant problem to many unsuspecting people, dental professionals worldwide agree that it is a severe complication and can lead to more overlooked issues impacting a person’s health. Beverly Hills periodontist Dr. Alex Farnoosh of The Total Smile argues that gum disease can and will, if untreated, create unsightly cosmetic problems like discolored gums, bleeding around the gum line, and eventually, tooth loss.

Study on How Obesity can Contribute to Poor Oral Health. 

Links have been found that Obesity can affect your oral. A recent study revealed that the more profound the periodontal pockets, the higher the proportion of subjects with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or over. According to the World Health Organization, a figure is generally considered obese. In 2008, 1.5 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight. Periodontal pockets are essentially food and plaque traps that irritate and decay teeth to the point where the tooth can eventually fall out if not treated by a dentist. The deeper the pocket, the greater the risk of tooth loss. Proper dental care and seeing your dentist can help prevent tooth loss due to periodontal pockets and gum disease. Having good oral healthcare and taking care of your overall health makes sense. On this website, we can help you save money on your dental care with one of our dental insurance or dental plans.

How Cavity-Causing Microbes can Invade your Heart

Scientists have discovered that bacteria, typically found in our mouths, is a tool that can be used to invade heart tissue, causing a dangerous and sometimes lethal infection of the heart known as endocarditis. S. mutans is a bacterium best known for causing cavities. Normally, S. mutans confine themselves to the mouth, but the bacteria can enter the bloodstream sometimes after a dental procedure or even after vigorous flossing. Our immune system usually destroys them, but occasionally – within just a few seconds – they travel to the heart and colonize its tissue, especially heart valves. The bacteria can cause endocarditis – inflammation of heart valves – which can be deadly. Infection by S. mutans is a leading cause of the condition. The study raises the possibility of creating a screening tool – perhaps a cheek swab or a spit test to gauge a dental patient’s vulnerability to the condition.

My niece has some rotten baby teeth. Her breath is awful too. She is going to the dentist to have them pulled, but she is only seven, so it seems too soon to be pulling out teeth. Can you give helpful advice to ensure the rest of her teeth do not have to be removed? I feel it is a lack of proper care, but I can not come out and say that.

Reply: Trying to give advice when not asked for can leave you in trouble. If your family member is coming to you for advice, suggest they talk to the dentist about dental sealants. Dental sealants will help to prevent decay. Just because you may think it is a lack of dental care, it could be that their child has bad or no tooth enamel.

Post-Menopausal Women have a higher risk of Tooth Loss.

A study of over 1,000 post-menopausal women forecasted that around one in four post-menopausal women has a higher risk of tooth loss over five years. This risk increases to nearly 90 percent if other risk factors are present, especially diabetes and if they smoke. Having proper dental care and maintaining good oral hygiene reduces the risk factors

What is Supplemental Dental Insurance? 

Supplemental dental insurance is an individual or family insurance policy purchased to cover some dental costs. Supplemental dental insurance will typically only cover part of the dental care procedure. The supplemental dental policy typically covers the remaining dental bill if you have a primary dental insurance plan that you purchased or your employer-provided. For example, if the dental plan policy covers half of the dental cost, the secondary or supplement dental insurance plan should cover the remaining balance of your dental procedure. You can purchase a supplemental dental insurance plan to help cover the dental charges when there are annual dental benefit plan limits or exclusions.

I have not been to see a dentist in over ten years when I was a kid.  I do not have any major dental issues that I know of but I want to start seeing a dentist regularly what should I expect?

Answer: Since you have not been to a dentist in years it hard to say what dental care you may need.  However for just a basic first dental appointment it can go some thing like this:

If the office has a dental hygienist, the hygienist will clean your teeth, do an evaluation and sometimes take X-rays. Then the dentist will check the X-rays and your teeth for signs of decay, check your gums for changes, and check for signs of oral cancer or other diseases.

From time to time, however, your dentist should do a more thorough exam. This is called a comprehensive examination. It includes a thorough look at your entire mouth, head and neck area. The dentist also will ask about your medical history, and you will get X-rays if indicated.

The soft tissues of the mouth include the tongue, the inside of the lips and cheeks, and the floor and roof of the mouth. Your dentist will normally check for spots, cuts, swellings, growths or other abnormal areas.

Bad oral and dental hygiene habits will lead to problems with your teeth and gums.  Continue bad oral and dental hygiene habits will over time lead to decayed and tooth loss.   Here are some good oral and dental hygiene habits that will help keep your teeth and gum healthy

1) Brush your teeth every day twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste

2) Clean between your teeth every day with dental floss

3) Snack smart and limit the amount of sugary snacks

4) Don’t smoke or chew tobacco

5) Do not forget to see your dentist regularly

Mainly bleeding gums are caused by inadequate plaque removal from the teeth at the gum line. This can lead to a condition called gingivitis, or inflamed gums.   If plaque is not removed through regular brushing and dental appointments, it will harden into what is known as tartar. Ultimately, this will lead to increased bleeding and can lead into a more advanced form of gum and jawbone disease known as periodontitis.   Other causes of bleeding gums include:
Any bleeding disorder
Brushing too hard
Hormonal changes during pregnancy
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
Ill-fitting dentures
Improper flossing
Infection, which can be either tooth- or gum-related
Leukemia
Scurvy
Use of blood thinners
Vitamin K deficiency

A survey of dentists in Massachusetts suggests that their confidence in treating patients with scleroderma may be related to their familiarity with the autoimmune disease. Dentists who reported feeling knowledgeable about scleroderma felt more prepared to provide care to patients with scleroderma, when compared to peers who did not feel as knowledgeable. Providing education to dentists may improve patient satisfaction and access to care, while simultaneously increasing dentists’ knowledge and comfort.

With more and more studies providing links between oral health and over all health care it is becoming clear just how important having good oral health is for your overall well being.  Brushing Tips to good oral health

1) Most people know to brush daily at least twice a day. However you also want to make sure you are using proper equipment to get the job done to the fullest.  Use toothpaste with fluoride, brush your teeth with a soft bristled toothbrush unless advise by a dentist to use a medium to hard bristled toothbrush.  Make sure the toothbrush you use fits your mouth comfortably.  You may want to use an electric toothbrush. Electric toothbrush are often time advise if you have arthritis or other problems that make it difficult to brush effectively.

2) keep your toothbrush clean.  Make sure to always rinse your toothbrush with water after brushing. Store your toothbrush in an upright position, and allow it to air dry until using it again. Do not routinely cover toothbrushes or store them in closed containers, which can encourage the growth of bacteria.

3) Keep your toothbrush as far away from the toilet as possible! There are 3.2 million microbes per square inch in the average toilet bowl. When you flush, aerosolized toilet funk is propelled as far as six feet, settling on the floor, the sink, and even, your toothbrush. Therefore you will want to put anything that goes inside your mouth behind closed doors (such as your medicine cabinet).

4) It is important to know when to replace your toothbrush. You will want to buy a new toothbrush or a replacement head for your electric or battery-operated toothbrush every three to four months, sooner if the bristles become frayed

In modern dentistry, amalgam fillings have become unpopular. Instead, white composite materials are more commonly used, which at first glance can hardly be distinguished from the tooth.

Photoactive materials are used in modern dentistry, which harden when they are exposed to light. Usually, only thin layers of up to 2 mm can be hardened, due to the limited penetration depth of light. A new dental filling material allows for thicker layers and faster dental procedures. Simply put, improved photoreactivity is good news for everyone who wants to spend as little time as possible in the dental chair.

Diabetes reduces the body’s resistance to infection putting the gums at risk. In addition, people who have inadequate blood sugar control may develop more-frequent and severe infections of the gums and the bone that holds teeth in place, and they may lose more teeth than do people who have good blood sugar control.  Make sure to advise your dentist if you are a diabetic so that proper dental care can be provided to you.
ears

In a study of 1566 community-dwelling Japanese elderly who were followed for 5 years, the risk of developing dementia was elevated in individuals with fewer remaining teeth.

Individuals with 10-19, 1-9, and no teeth had 62%, 81%, and 63% higher risks of dementia, respectively, than individuals with >20 teeth. Likewise, an inverse association was observed between the number of remaining teeth and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Source:Society for the Study of Addiction

If cost is a factor for why you do not see a dentist regularly, remember that by having dental insurance you are able to have dental care services at a much more affordable cost.  In addition most dental insurance plans provide free preventive dental care hopefully so you will not need to have larger more costly dental care services.

A new review published online today in the scientific journal Addiction has found that dental patients with substance use disorders have more tooth decay and periodontal disease than the general population, but are less likely to receive dental care. With drug use increasing by approximately three million new users each year, this is a problem that will not disappear anytime soon.

According to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID), 15 million Americans have crown or bridge replacements and three million have dental implants –  with this latter number rising by 500,000 a year.  

A research team comprising scientists from the School of Biological Sciences, Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and the School of Engineering at the University of Plymouth, have joined forces to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a new nanocoating for dental implants to reduce the risk of peri-implantitis.

The results of their work are published in the journal Nanotoxicology.

People with dental phobia are more likely to have active caries or missing teeth, a new study from King’s College London has confirmed.

The latest study, published in the British Dental Journal, aimed to explore the social and demographic correlates of oral health and oral health related quality of life of people with dental phobia compared to those without dental phobia. The findings showed that people with dental phobia are more likely to have one or more decayed teeth, and missing teeth as well. In addition, the study showed that those with dental phobias’ reported that their oral health related quality of life is poor.

This type of headache pain can have several causes from nerve injury to dental problems. The cause of the headache behind the ear will determine symptoms and treatment.

With regards to dental problems. 

The temporomandibular joints (TMJ) can cause aching behind the ear and it usually accompanied by jaw pain. The temporomandibular joints are the ball and socket joints of the jaw. These joints can become inflamed and painful. While most people with TMJ inflammation feel the pain in the jaw and behind the ear, others may just experience a headache behind the ear.

TMJ can be caused by:

• stress
• teeth grinding
• arthritis
• injury
• jaw alignment

If you feel you maybe having TMJ issues talk it over with your dentist. As a dentist will be able to confirm if in fact that is the case and help treat it.