Anti-inflammatory foods may help save your teeth

Here is yet another article supporting the idea that food affects our health!!!! Get on board and make healthy choices for your body and your mouth! 

Salmon, cashews, walnuts, avocado and olive oil are all part of an anti-inflammatory diet.

Everyone knows that diet is one of the biggest factors of healthy living. Doctors recommend dietary guidelines to patients to help combat widespread problems including obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

However, recent research shows the right foods can even contribute to a decline in overall tooth loss.

Researchers from many different universities came together to examine reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. This information showed the "inflammatory potential" of certain diets and led the team to believe a reduction in tooth loss could be associated with an anti-inflammatory diet.

The study followed the diets of more than 6,500 participants to assess their Dietary Inflammation Index (DII) to determine a relation between eating habits and oral health — specifically, tooth loss. They found that on average the participants in the highest DII quarter lost 0.84 more teeth than subjects in the lowest DII quarter. Their results were published earlier this month in Clinical Nutrition Journal, in an article titled, "Diet-borne systemic inflammation is associated with prevalent tooth loss."

Georgios Kotsakis, DDS, from the Department of Periodontics at the University of Washington School of Dentistry, further expounded upon the results. He explained that nutrients of certain foods had shown to elicit an inflamed tissue response associated with common inflammatory diseases like diabetes or periodontitis.

"Participants were considered to follow a pro-inflammatory diet if their diet was particularly rich in carbohydrates, trans fat, or had overall high caloric intake," Kotsakis said.

Kotsakis also explained the importance of following a diet high in anti-inflammatory foods — including omega-3s, fiber and vitamin D — to prevent developing an inflammatory condition. Even adjusting to an anti-inflammatory diet later in life is beneficial for people who want to avoid tooth loss.

It's imperative that dentists open a dialogue with their patients about the comprehensive benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet. Oral health professionals unsure how to broach the topic or who do not feel qualified in this type of health are encouraged to partner with doctors and other medical specialists.

Kotsakis advocated for a comprehensive approach to these nutrition tips. He even emphasized the possible benefit of addressing this issue with public health initiatives.

"The addition of preventive oral health in the agenda for dietary public health interventions to prevent diabetes, obesity, and other inflammatory conditions has the potential to be a very cost-effective preventive strategy." Kotsakis said.

Together, dentists and doctors can develop a good course of action to help patients transition to a healthier lifestyle. After all, most health-based dietary guidelines encourage the same behaviors: Drink more water, eat more vegetables and limit sugary treats. Encouraging patients to follow healthy diets works out in everyone's favor.

Dentists can provide information to show how anti-inflammatory eating habits prevent unsightly and costly problems like tooth loss. Review best practices with those in your care to ensure your patients are smiling brightly for years to come.

by Carolina Pickens, MultiBriefs 7-14-2017

Oral Health: Why men are at higher risk!

Men's Health Week is upon us. From June 15 to 21, 2015, the Men's Health Network is shining light on preventable diseases in men and boys across the U.S. and promoting early detection and prompt treatment. While oral diseases present ailments that afflict both genders, they affect the bodies in different ways. There are certain conditions that males are more susceptible to than females and vice versa. It's important for both men and women to know their dental health risks, take preventative care and seek treatment from a dentist when necessary. Discover the gender differences for these two common oral ailments:

Gum disease

Men are at a higher risk for developing periodontal disease, otherwise known as gum disease. In fact, 34 percent of males between the ages of 30 and 54 have gum disease, while only 22 percent of females in that age range have it. This same disparity exists for older age groups - 56 percent of men between the ages of 55 and 90 have periodontal disease compared to 44 percent of women also in that age group. However, for both genders, it's evident that their risk for the disease increases with age.

While men may be more susceptible to gum disease overall, women's risk both for the disease and its impact on their overall health increases during certain stages of their lives, especially pregnancy. When a woman is pregnant, the hormone changes in her body may lead to an increased risk for developing gum disease. In fact, many women experience pregnancy gingivitis during the third trimester, in which there is an increased inflammatory response to plaque. This can cause the gums to bleed and swell, and the infection can spread into the blood stream, which may affect the developing baby.

While the condition may affect males and females differently, both genders can take the same precautions to prevent gum disease, including brushing twice and flossing once daily. This will help remove the plaque that irritates the gums. Additionally, smoking cigarettes can put you at a higher risk for developing gum disease.

Dental trauma
Traumatic dental injuries refer to incidents that happen from physical impact. Whether from sports or roughhousing, chipped teeth account for the majority of all traumatic dental injuries. Though less common, dislodged teeth are another risk when physical contact is involved in an accident.

Even Steph Curry wears a mouthguard to protect his smile! 

Women are currently outnumbered by men in college athletics. Specifically, for NCAA Division I schools, females make up 46 percent of student athletes. With men taking the lead in sports participation rates, their risk for dental trauma goes up. Though males may be more susceptible to this dental health problem because they are exposed in greater numbers to the risk factors, both men and women need to take precautions when playing sports. Aside from practicing a proper daily oral hygiene routine to keep teeth strong, athletes should wear mouth guards to protect their teeth from injury.

While some of these oral health differences stem from biological factors, many are the result of lifestyle choices. Whether male or female, everyone should brush their teeth twice a day, floss at least once daily and regularly see a dentist to prevent serious dental health issues.

Keeping Up With Your Children's Oral Health During The Summer

For school-aged kids, summer break is a time of relaxation and fun — sleeping in, taking family trips to the beach, or going to summer camp.

But during summer break, it’s important for kids to maintain good oral health habits.

Dr. Harold Katz, dentist, bacteriologist and developer of TheraBreath for Kids mouthwash, said during the school year, kids are generally regimented.

Before bed each night, they brush and floss, and they repeat the routine in the morning before school.

This guy NEVER goes on vaction!

“Summer break is no excuse to let your oral health routine lapse,” Dr. Katz said. “Bad breath, gum disease and cavities don’t take a vacation.”

Katz offers a few tips parents can follow to make sure their kids take care of their mouths, teeth, gums and breath this summer:

Have a routine, not a schedule. The nine months that make up the school year usually come with a pretty rigid schedule for kids. While a summer schedule isn’t necessary, keeping kids in some type of general routine is helpful. This includes reminding them that even if they are staying home all day, staying up late or sleeping in, they still need to follow through on their daily oral-health routine.

Stay hydrated. The summer months bring warm temperatures and kids are likely to participate in more outdoor activities. Keeping hydrated is important to staying healthy and maintaining every system and region of the body. This includes the mouth. Katz says drinking water can help prevent dry mouth and the negative effects that come with it such as bad breath, tooth and gum disease, mouth sores, gingivitis and more. Dry mouth can even cause taste buds to shut down, making those summer hot dogs and ice cream bars a little less appetizing.

Watch what your kids drink. It might be tempting to give kids sports drinks because of their claim to replenish bodily fluids. However, those drinks have a negative effect on oral health because of high levels of acids and sugar, Katz says, and they are loaded with sodium, which can have a counter-effect to relieving thirst. The best bet is to drink plenty of water before, during and after participating in activities, particularly outdoor activities.

“Kids want to have fun during the summer and they should be able to,” Katz said. “But they may need a little nudging from their parents to make sure they don’t get so caught up in fun that they let their brushing, flossing and rinsing routines fall by the wayside.”

How Vitamin D can Affect Your Smile!

As the season for outdoor activities has arrived, we thought we'd share this article about Vitamin D and it's importance to not only your health but to maintaining healthy teeth.

A study published by McMaster University in May found vitamin D is vital to more than just skin and the neurological system.

Previously, there was no way to prove long-term vitamin D deficiencies in the human species. However, anthropologists studying ancient human teeth found that the main material of teeth — dentin — records when the body undergoes deficient periods.

It was discovered that when an extended period of vitamin D deficiency occurred, the dentin of the teeth could not remineralize and form new, healthy layers. This makes sense, as a lack of sufficient vitamin D has been tied to problems like osteoporosis and other bone density problems.

This lack of mineralization created badly mineralized calcium salt deposits, also known as interglobular dentin. These calcium salt deposits, in turn, formed rickets within the tooth.

Researchers can now read and analyze these dentin rickets in much the same way as one can read the rings of a tree trunk. Like rickets, a problem wherein bones don't sufficiently remineralize and are prone to breaks, teeth were unable to maintain their strength throughout the human's lifespan. These "markers" were trapped within the layers of dentin, waiting to be uncovered by researchers.

Not only was this vital in discovering the patterns of migration in early humans due to changes in sunlight exposure based on latitude and seasons, but dentists today can also analyze how and why vitamin D deficiency occurs in humans.

This is a vital step into overcoming this global problem — more than 1 billion people across the world currently suffer from a vitamin D deficiency. Possible indicators of this deficiency have been tracked since 2 C.E., and the earliest clinical accounts were recorded in the late 17th century.

The researchers in this study, who hailed from Canada and France, look forward to using this information to unlock the key to ensuring people everywhere have sufficient vitamin levels. Previously, low levels of phosphate or calcium were thought to majorly impact a person's ability to process vitamin D.

However, current research suggests the dilemma merely results from inadequate access to sunlight. As humans spend their days completely indoors, insufficient UVB radiation prevents them from acquiring needed vitamin levels.

Dentists who are concerned about patients' overall vitamin D levels can easily begin a dialogue about overall outdoor habits. Health professionals can recommend healthy ways to spend more time in the sun, including wearing sunscreen and other good habits to prevent sun damage.

Supplements may also be advisable in certain cases, as well. Spend time discussing positive ways to improve a patient’s exposure and improve their chances of overcoming this problem.

Why Do I Grind My Teeth; Everything You Need To Know

NHS figures show that bruxism affects more than six million of us, and can be a factor in some worrying health issues. Here's what the experts say:

If you grind your teeth or clench your jaw (the medical term for which is bruxism), it's not just your teeth and jaw muscles that suffer. 'Chronic 'bruxers' may suffer from headaches, earache, dizziness and vertigo, insomnia and even hearing loss,' says oral health expert and professor of health psychology Professor Gerald Humphris, from the University of St Andrews. "They may also have over-developed jaw muscles. It's a health problem that's about much more than wearing down of teeth and a dentist will be able to diagnose a patient with bruxism just from looking inside their mouth."

"It's very easy to spot," confirms dentist Dr Uchenna Okoye, clinical director of the London Smiling Dental Group. "You can see immediately from how the teeth are worn down – ideally, you're able to see the tips of someone's front teeth when they talk, and often you can't in people who grind. There will also be tiny cracks and chips in the teeth that often pick up brown staining. Grinding wears the enamel down on the teeth and also weakens them, which can cause them to crack. It affects the appearance of the teeth, and they can also become very sensitive."

Grinding your teeth can also have an adverse effect on existing or imminent dental work, too. "Implants are less successful in patients who clench or grind," says Professor Humphris. "In fact, they're seven times more likely to fail under those circumstances."

Why people grind their teeth

Up to 70% of bruxism can be attributed to stress according to The Bruxation Association, with job-related stress being the most significant factor. It might also occur because new fillings are 'proud' – that is, not quite even – and so the bite is disturbed.

"You may be unconsciously trying to grind the new filling down so it's more comfortable," says Professor Humphris. Teeth-grinding is also more common in those who consume too much alcohol or caffeine, take recreational drugs such as ecstasy or cocaine or take medication for sleep, anxiety or depression (particularly a type of antidepressant known as selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, or SSRIs). Those with sleep disorders such a snoring or sleep apnea are more prone to bruxism, too. Studies show that bruxism may be genetic – 21-50% of people who grind their teeth have a direct family member with the condition. And it doesn't just happen at night – 'awake' bruxism is less common than nocturnal bruxism, but it does exist, although is more likely to take the form of jaw or teeth clenching rather than grinding.

What to do about grinding your teeth

Some people aren't aware that they grind their teeth and only realize they do it because their (often long-suffering and sleepless) partner tells them. If you're having headaches, migraines, find your teeth are hypersensitive or even becoming wobbly, see your dentist, who will be able to confirm a bruxism diagnosis. "The most common form of treatment is to have what we call a Michigan splint fitted," says Dr Okoye. "This protects the teeth but it also helps to realign the jaw and retrain the jaw muscles to help prevent grinding long term, helping to break the habit."

A Michigan splint is a type of occlusal splint that's made of hard plastic and moulded to fit exactly over your upper or lower teeth. You can also buy mouthguards over-the-counter from a pharmacy, although these don't last as long and aren't as comfortable to wear. And while it's vital to make sure your teeth are protected if you grind them, it's also important to address the underlying root of your bruxism.

"Stress management techniques may help you relax before you go to bed, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps you change the way you think about and react to stressful events in your life, has been shown to be effective at reducing bruxism in some patients," says Professor Humphris.

If you clench or grind during the day, in response to stress or when you're concentrating, for instance, becoming more mindful of situations during which you grind your teeth can help you to break the habit. Encouragingly, a small study found that hypnosis significantly reduced tooth grinding at night, and the effects lasted as long as 36 months. "Bruxism is far from a minor health niggle," says Professor Humphris. "It can cause enormous discomfort and stress, and seriously affect quality of life. See your dentist for help sooner rather than later."

WEB MD Article Supports Proper Toothbrushing Techniques And Points Out Common Mistakes!

As easy as it may seem to do, very few of us brush our teeth as well as we could. Thankfully, where there are mistakes, there are ways to fix them.

1. You pick the wrong brush.

How do you choose from the mind-melting selection of brushes at your local supermarket?

Kimberly Harms, a dentist from Farmington, MN, says make sure your brush can cover the places that need covering. That’s everywhere you should be able to reach with a toothbrush. It can be a power toothbrush or a manual one. But there is one rule Harms says isn’t negotiable.

“The one thing that we really insist upon -- it’s very important -- is it has to have soft bristles,” she says. “The bristles need to be able to bend, to kind of get right under that gum.”

The size of the brush’s head is important, too, especially if you have a smaller mouth. Brushes also have various sizes of handles and different angles. Some are more flexible than others.

But the critical part, dentists agree, is the bristles that remove the bacteria and loosen plaque from your teeth and gums. That plaque can cause gum disease and lead to tooth decay.

“Sometimes people think that the harder the bristles are, the more they’ll clean. But that’s not something that’s necessarily true,” says Maricelle Abayon, a dentist with the Eastman Institute for Oral Health in Rochester, NY.

“Soft bristles clean very effectively, more than the hard bristles. The hard bristles actually can wear down your tooth structure.”

Look for the American Dental Association seal of approval on your new brush, too.

2. You go to town on your teeth.

When it comes to brushing, harder isn’t better.

“I think one of the biggest issues that people have is that they try to scrub their teeth too hard. They feel like if they really don’t go at the teeth, like they’re trying to clean the grout in their bathroom tile, that they’re not doing the right job,” says Matt Messina, a dentist from Fairview Park, OH.

Plaque is soft and loose, so you don’t have to scrub, Messina says.

“The best way to fix this is to take away the mental issue of ‘scrub’ and ‘scrub brush’ and replace it with the word ‘massage.’”

3. You rush.

You should brush at least twice a day for 2 minutes each time. But you’re late for school or work. Or you want to get to bed. Once in a while, you need to cut that brushing short.

Don’t.

“We used to suggest, back in the day, we’d talk about using an egg timer or something like that,” Messina says. “But everybody has this wonderful thing on their body all the time now called a cell phone. If you want to set a timer and set it for 2 minutes, that’s great.

“I see a lot of young people walking around with headphones on,” she says. “If you can leave your headphones in and put on a song, your average pop song’s in the 2-3 minute range. So if you brush while you listen to one of your favorite songs, you’ve probably been in there long enough.”

4. You hold on too long.

When you find a good toothbrush, it’s sometimes hard to give it up. But when you see changes in the bristles -- when they become discolored, bent, or dirty looking -- it’s time to chuck the brush.

It loses its powers when the bristles become frayed. So change it at least every 3 to 4 months. Also, it’s smart not to share your brush with anyone else. And keep it in the open air to keep mold or bacteria from growing on it when it’s wet.

5. You go back and forth.

It’s a common brushing boo-boo -- going along your teeth, left to right. Again, think massage, not scrub.

“Start from the gum, and go up and down,” in little circular, up-and-down motions, says Sangeeta Gajendra, a dentist at the Eastman Institute for Oral Health in Rochester, NY. She says if you do it wrong, it won’t help you. “In fact, you can do damage,” she says

6. You forget the gum line.

Bacteria often hang out where your tooth meets your gum. We miss that area a lot.

“You have about a millimeter of gum tissue where your tooth comes outside your gum, you want to kind of get under there, just about a millimeter, maybe 2 or 3 millimeters, right under the gum,” Harms says. “So the bristle needs to be able to bend.”

Brushing your teeth, it turns out, means brushing your whole tooth. Or at least everything you can get to with your brush. And that includes just under the gum.

“We spend more time on the chewing surface and we don’t really get down on the gum line,” says Hans Malmstrom, a dentist in Rochester, NY. “That’s one of the most common things -- they don’t brush along the gum line.”

How do you do that? It’s not tough.

Use the angle. “We normally recommend to angle the brush at a 45-degree angle against the gumline,” Malmstrom says. That gets the gum line. Then go for the rest of the tooth, with strokes that roll up and down.

Tilt the brush up and down to get the inside of your front teeth. Don’t forget to brush your tongue, too. That’ll get rid of bacteria.

Remember the tongue-side. Oh yeah. Everybody gets the outside of their teeth, the part people can see. And everybody brushes the chewing surfaces, too.

The inside, though, the tongue-side? Not so much.

“Most people don’t brush the tongue side of the teeth,” says Andy Marashi, a Seattle dentist. “It’s very easy to tell. You get a line of inflammation. Not to mention the debris that sits there and becomes what we call calculus.”

7. You go in too soon.

It’s tempting, sometimes, to immediately bolt to the restroom to get rid of the remnants of that meal you just scarfed down. That’s better than not brushing at all.

But Marashi says you might want to back off just a tad “You have the acid sitting in your mouth and now you’re using abrasives,” he says. “So you’re kind of helping the acid erode away your tooth.”

But how long should you wait? Marashi says 15 or 20 minutes. That’s long enough for the saliva in your mouth to do its work on the acid before you dive in.

“Or rinse out your mouth with some water, to get rid of some of that acid before you brush,” he says.

8. You don’t make one time wonderful.

Brush at least twice a day, at least 2 minutes each time. Every day. Don’t let up.

But maybe just as important, Messina says, is to make sure that at least one of those times is exceptional. That’s brushing, flossing, mouthwash, the whole bit.

“As long as we go in and stir up the bacteria once every 24 hours, we can keep them less productive and less dangerous,” he says.

The other daily stops -- to get out the spinach between your teeth or to freshen up after that onion sandwich -- are important, too.

“But once a day,” Messina says, “a good thorough brushing-flossing-rinsing does wonders.”

Stop The Pop!

Americans consume huge amounts of soft drinks each year.

Enough soft drinks are produced annually to provide 725 12-ounce servings (equivalent to more than 30 cases) to every man, woman, and child. Soft drinks, juices and sports drinks provide huge amounts of sugars to many diets. Each day, soda consumption alone provides the average teenage boy about 15 teaspoons of refined sugars, the average girl about 10 teaspoons. These amounts roughly equal the recommended daily limits for teens' sugar consumption from ALL foods.

Why Should You Care

No matter what it's called-a soft drink, soda, or pop-drinking too much can cause tooth decay and harm your health.

Sugars and acid in soft drinks, juices, sports drinks and energy drinks can set up the perfect environment for tooth decay. Drinking too much of these beverages can contribute to other health problems, such as, osteoporosis, kidney stones, and especially overweight and obesity, which are prime risk factors for type 2 diabetes in teens and adults.

Soft drinks are a problem not only for what they contain, but for what the push out of the diet, including vitamins, minerals and fiber. Fewer than 50% of adolescent girls consume enough calcium daily, which can lead to early development of osteoporosis. Girls who drink carbonated beverages are 5 times more likely to have bone fractures than those who don't drink soda.

Spoon out  10 level teaspoons of sugar ( in soda, it's called high fructose corn syrup) to see about how much is in a 12-ounce can of regular soda. Now spoon out 17 teaspoons for a 20-ounce bottle.  Can you imagine eating that much sugar at one time! If you think diet soda is much better, think again. It may not have sugar but it still contains acid that can harm tooth enamel, which can lead to tooth decay.

How Tooth Decay Starts

• Soda and other soft drinks have refined sugar, such as high fructose corn syrup. Bacteria in the mouth process the sugar and produce acid.
• This acid, plus extra already present in the drink, demineralizes (softens) your tooth enamel, the outer coating of teeth that guards against tooth decay.
• Tooth decay ( cavities) begin when enamel is weakened.
• Each acid attack lasts about 20 minutes, each sip you take resets the clock.
• Remember! Diet or "sugar free" drinks may not have sugar , but they contain harmful acid.

How To Reduce Decay

• Choose WATER; it's best for your hydration and health.
• Don't sip soda all day, drink a serving all at once. Consistent "sipping" exposes teeth to a prolonged acid attack.
• If you do drink soda, sports drinks, juices, or energy drinks, do so in moderation; not more than a 12-ounce serving (1 can) per day. And, it's best to drink it with a meal.
• After having a soft drink, wait a half hour, then brush your teeth. If you can't brush, rinse your mouth with water to dilute the sugars and acid, or chew gum which contains xylitol, a sugar substitute shown to discourage tooth decay.
• Brush at least twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and floss daily to remove plaque buildup between teeth and along gums.
• Check the label for the pH. A normal mouth has a pH of 6.3 to 7, which is close to neutral. Tooth enamel begins to deminerilize (dissolve) at pH levels below 5.5. Sodas have an average pH of 2.5!

DID YOU KNOW?

• money down the drain...In 2004, Americans spent $68 billion on carbonated drinks, and billions more on non-carbonated drinks...$850 per household... enough to buy a computer and a year's worth of Internet access.
• starting young...One fifth of 1 and 2 year old children consume soft drinks. Those toddlers drink an average of seven ounces, about 1 cup, each day. Almost half of all children between ages 6 and 11 drink soda, with the average child drinking 15 ounces a day.
• what's being learned at school...The alliance for a Healthier Generation has has worked with leading beverage companies to create guidelines which allow only lower calorie nutritious beverages to be sold at schools. Be a part of this important movement and a voice for our youth. Ask your school to offer healthier options like reduced-fat milk and water. And, make sure at home you practice what you preach.
• empty calories, excess weight...In 2004, the average American drank 37 gallons, 60,000 calories, of non-diet soft drinks; adding in another 16 gallons of fruit and sport drinks brings the total to about 85,000 calories. All those calories can contribute to excessive weight gain and related health problems.
• sizes are growing...In the 1950's, a bottle of soda was 6.5 ounces. Today, a 12-ounce can is standard and a 20-ounce bottle is common. Larger container sizes mean more calories, more sugar and more acid from a single container of soda.
• caffeine in a can...The amounts of caffeine in one or two cans of caffeinated soft drinks can affect performance and mood, increase anxiety in children and reduce the ability to sleep.
• better keep exercising...To burn off the calories in a 20-ounce bottle of non-diet soda, a 135-pound person would have to walk three moles in 45 minutes, play vigorous basketball for 40 minutes or bike vigorously for 22 minutes.