Check out Men’s Health’s Interactive Map of Where the Teeth Bite

Our analysis includes stats from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the number of people who visit their dentists for annual checkups, the number of no-shows whose choppers are dropping out, and the number of households with fluoride on tap. And since warding off gum disease is key to keeping your smile, we also factored in who’s flossing, from Mediamark Research. When the computer spit out the results, it became clear that some drilling is needed in Texas, and we don’t mean for oil.

The Acid Bath

On the surface it makes sense: Brush your teeth after breakfast. Problem is, cereal, bananas, and OJ are acidic, and if you eat them and then brush right away, you’ll remove some of the temporarily softened tooth enamel. The remedy? Wait 20 minutes before you brush, says David Bartlett, B.D.S., Ph.D., a British expert on dental erosion.

Scan for Stroke

After your dentist checks for cavities, ask him to eyeball your arteries. The panoramic dental x-ray not only offers a 180-degree window into your oral health, but also reveals whether the other plaque is piling up in your carotid arteries—plaque that might otherwise go undetected until you stroke out. Unfortunately, only 10 percent of dentists bother to look. “Many dentists miss the bigger picture of health,” says Laurie Carter, D.D.S., Ph.D., president of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology. Nudge your dentist to examine your x-ray. If he sees anything suspicious, ask him to send the film to your physician.

Cities with the Best Teeth

Cities with the Worst Teeth

Cities with the Most Households Using Floss in the Past 6 Months

Cities Where the Most People Visited the Dentist Within the Past Year

Cities Providing the Highest Percentage of Fluoridated Water

Lowest Rate of permanent teeth extractions

100 Cities: From Worst to Best

URL: http://health.msn.com/health-topics/oral-care/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100199710>1=31017

Where the Teeth Bite* from Men’s Health « Dradeledoherty’s Weblog

The Teen-Age Years

As females reach puberty, the production of the sex hormones progesterone and estrogen increases. This hormonal increase can exaggerate the way dental tissues react to the irritants in plaque. Gums may become red, tender, swollen and likely to bleed easily when chewing or brushing teeth. After the early teen years, women may notice less inflammation and bleeding.

Reaching Menopause You may notice a number of physical changes when you reach menopause, including some that occur in the mouth. These may include a burning sensation, altered taste sensations (salty, peppery or sour), a decrease in saliva flow that can result in dry mouth, and greater sensitivity to hot and cold foods or drinks.

Talk with us if you experience any oral problems that you think might be related to menopause. Be sure to mention any medications you are taking (both prescription and over-the-counter products), because many drugs can have dental-related side-effects, including dry mouth. Dry mouth can increase your risk for tooth decay, halitosis (bad breath) and mouth sores. Saliva substitutes may be prescribed to reduce any mouth dryness. Vitamin C and B complexes may be helpful, as well. For good overall health, eat a balanced diet and discuss with your physician how to get the calcium you need to prevent osteoporosis (“porous bones”), the risk of which increases after menopause.

Remember that it is plaque not fluctuating hormone levels, that is the major cause of periodontal disease. Here are ways you can help prevent periodontal disease: Be sure to brush your teeth thoroughly twice a day and clean between your teeth daily with floss or another interdental cleaner.  If you need extra help in controlling plaque and gingivitis, we may recommend antimicrobial mouthrinse. Regular dental visits and professional cleanings are essential. Plaque that is not removed can harden into a rough, porous deposit called calculus, or tartar. Tartar can only be removed by a professional cleaning at our office or any other dental office. 

Eat a balanced diet for good general health and limit snacks.

*From American Dental Association 

Starting in March 2008, we will begin a new segment that will deal with myths, old tales and stories about dentistry and dental care.  For example, it is believed in some quarters that a woman would lose at least one tooth on pregnancy.  This is certainly not true!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can also send in your own stories, myths, old tales, etc and all refined stories, tales, etc shall be published. Let’s have some fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Females generally have different needs at various stages of life. Puberty, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause can all affect the dental health and the need for treatment of a woman.  During these periods, the body of a woman undergoes hormonal changes that can make ones gums (periodontal tissues) sensitive and increase her risk for periodontal (gum) disease.  By understanding these changes, one can make informed decision as to how to practice good dental health habits that can keep ones teeth and gums healthy.  American Dental Association (http://www.ada.org) and your dentist have information for you.

WHAT IS GUM DISEASE?

Gum disease (periodontal disease) is an infection of the gums and bone that help anchor the teeth in the mouth caused by dental plaque, a sticky film of bacteria (germs) that adheres to teeth surface.  Dental plaque forms regularly on teeth and do build up if it is not removed through daily oral hygiene.  The bacteria in dental plaque produce toxins that irritate gums.  In the early stage, called Gingivitis, gums swell, turn red and do bleed readily.  Eventually, the gum may separate from a tooth and form deepened spaces called Pockets.  In this stage, called Periodontitis, the bone and soft tissues that support the teeth are destroyed, which ultimately can cause the teeth to be loose, fall out, or require removal by any licensed dentist in your state.

Gum disease occurs at any age, but it is most common in adults.  In fact, 3 out of 4 adults are affected by this disease at some point in their lives.  women are especially susceptible to the disease at certain stages of life.  You can be sure that hormonal changes can affect the blood supply to the gums, and response to irritants from dental plaque may be extra-large i.e. exaggerated.  The periodontal tissue is a target for female hormones, which makes it much more sensitive to changes in the levels of these hormones.  Any person who is already prone to the disease, may find the problem worsening during hormonal changes.

VOLUME 2 will include Monthly Cycle, Pregnancy.

VOLUME 3 will include Teen-age years, Menopause and What to do to help Oneself.

For more information visit American Dental Association website (http://www.ada.org) or write ADA for information.  The bulk of the material obtained from ADA patient education handouts.  You can also speak with your dentist about periodontal disease and your dental health.

*Dental health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate oral health decisions. Health literacy is a shared function of individual patient skills, ability of a provider to communicate effectively and accurately, and the informational demands placed on patients by health care systems. Patients are being asked to take a more active role in health care decisions. To accomplish this, they need adequate health literacy for the situation, and professionals play an integral role in helping patients achieve this.Read more

*From American Dental Association Community Brief Late November 2007, Issue 9 Volume 4

People with diabetic conditions generally have a demanding life because in addition to doing everything each and everyone of us does, they tend to count carbohydrates, testing their blood sugar levels.  Those people with this condition that are depressed  tend to experience poor concentration and easily lose interest which can cause problem in educating themselves about proper self-help and self-management of their diabetes.  While they may know about how to maintain their health, they tend to lose interest in their health including dental health and be less willingto take the appropriate steps needed to self -help.  Some studies have shown that these people with diabetes and depression are less likely to fill their prescriptions, check their glucose levels maintain periodontal health.  Please check with your dentist regarding your periodontal (gum) health.

For more information on the link between diabetes and depression, check an article written by Dr. Alan Jacobson, chief, psychiatric services at Harvard Medical School at Times vol. 170, No. 20, 2007 http://www.time.com.

Good luck!

General dentists and many other dentists now offer adult oral sedation to their fearful patients.  This offers many advantages to the fearful patients including getting the much needed dental care without stress and depending on the medication used to achieve sedation, patients often do not even remember.  Patients get more dentistry done in one single visit instead of requiring several returns to the dentist’s office. 

Some of the common medications used by dentists to achieve conscious sedation include valium (diazepam) which was first introduced in 1963, it is a benzodiazepines.  It has a half-life of between 20 and 100 hrs.  The problem is patient may not be able to return to regular routines after 24 hrs. such as driving.  Sonata (zaleplon) is a non-benzodiazepine but acts as if it were.  It has a most rapid onset and a half-life of just one hour so if you are planning to have extensive dental work done at one visit, this may not be for you.  Ativan (lorazepam), it has a half-life of 12-14 hours and it is widely accepted in the dental circle because it is safe and effective as an anxiolytic agent.  Xanax (alprazolam) is a moderate benzodiazepine with two active metabolites that extend the half-life to 11-12 hrs. in adults.  Interestingly, the half-life doubles in obese patients.  Halcion (triazolam), the blue pill is considered by many in the dental community as the “ideal” oral sedative because it has a fast onset, short-acting, anxiolytic, amnesic; half-life of 2-3 hrs., large margin of safety, and reversal agent is readily available.

So the millions of patients avoiding recommended and needed dental treatment due to fear, can now relax and look forward to relaxation dentistry.  With availability of safe and effective oral sedation dentistry protocols, the dental team can help these patients get care they need and deserve.  Dentists often consider patient variability as an important risk factor in deciding which anxiety-free protocol to use.  Indidivudal variables such as weight, anxiety level, age, and underlying disease states are often considered by the treating dentist.

There are many different types of mouth irritations.
Canker sores occur only inside the mouth, on the tongue and inside linings of the cheeks, throats and lips. They are not contagious. These sores are usually larger than fever blisters and do not heal quickly. This condition is not well understood. They do not appear to be caused by bacteria or viruses. Research suggests that they may grow from a fault in one’s body’s immune system or from nutritional deficiencies, emotional stress and mouth injury can trigger outbreaks. 
Fever Blisters, also called cold sores, are small sores that usually occur outside the mouth on the lip, chin or cheek. When blisters appear in side the mouth, they usually are found on the gums or the roof of the mouth. Unlike canker sores, the blisters are caused by a virus, herpes simplex. This virus is highly contagious unlike canker sores when the blisters are present. The blisters may disappear but the virus remains in the body. This explains why some people may have recurrent cold sores. Many things can trigger reoccurrence including, fever, stress, illness, injury and exposure to sunlight. There is no known cure for fever blisters. There are medications to help reduce the pain from the outbreak of any of these two. Ask your dentist, or e-mail us at dentallwellness@juno.com