New Study Shows Correlation Between Gum Disease, Heart Disease

New Study Shows Correlation Between Gum Disease, Heart Disease

Written by Dentistry TodayWednesday, 27 March 2013 15:07

There’s more evidence of the health problems that stem from poor oral health.

A new study by researchers at the Swedish college Uppsala University found that tooth loss and gum disease raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes. The research team determined that missing teeth increased the enzyme levels of a specific enzyme. It was also discovered that this enzyme raised the risk of inflammation and hardening in the arteries.

The risk increased for every missing tooth. There were even new risk factors added, including high blood pressure, bad cholesterol and the circumference of the waist. The people with fewer teeth were also at an increased risk of suffering from diabetes. Each missing tooth made the person 11 percent more likely to develop diabetes.

Despite the many recent studies that have linked heart health and overall health, there isn’t much data from patients diagnosed with heart problems and how gum disease impacted them before their heart problems.

The best way to avoid any possible health effects from poor oral health is to visit the dentist on a regular basis.

Sore Throat Doesn’t Contaminate Toothbrush

Sore Throat Doesn’t Contaminate Toothbrush

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 07 May 2013 15:28

Your toothbrush is fine to use after having a sore throat.

There was recent speculation that it may be best to discard one’s toothbrush after having the flu or strep throat. But a study explained at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting in Washington debunked that belief.

A group of researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston set out to study this issue.

To conduct the study, the research team attempted to grow group A Streptococcus, the bacteria associated with strep throat, on adult toothbrushes that were exposed to the bacteria in a laboratory. The bacteria were present on the toothbrushes for at least two full days.

Two new toothbrushes not exposed to the bacteria also happened to grow bacteria even though they were taken out of the packages in a sterile manner.

The study was then conducted on children’s toothbrushes. To compile the data, the toothbrush users comprised 14 patients ages 2 through 20 with strep throat, 13 patients in that age group with sore throats and 27 healthy patients. The toothbrushes were then placed in a sterile cover to make testing possible.

The bacteria were only discovered on one of the toothbrushes and it happened to come from one of the healthy children. The other toothbrushes didn’t grow streptococcus, rather they developed other bacteria that are present in the mouth.

To further confirm the fact that toothbrushes are fine to use after having a sore throat, however, a more widespread study is necessary.

Dental Experts Warn People About Summer Eating

Dental Experts Warn People About Summer Eating

Written by Dentistry TodayThursday, 09 May 2013 14:49

You may want to pay attention to what you eat this summer.

Dental experts want people to be informed that many popular summer foods can be harmful to your teeth. Many people may have some kind of tooth wear and may not even be aware of it, and the problem is exacerbated during the summer months.

In addition to things that most people know are harmful to your teeth (sugary drinks, soda and sweets), pickles may be a problem. Pickles can contain sugar and strong colorants that may alter a tooth’s color.

Tomatoes may pose problems as well. Tomatoes could be beneficial to teeth in some ways but the acid present in tomatoes may eat away at the enamel. As result, it’s best to eat tomatoes during a meal as opposed to eating them throughout the day.

People also opt for fruit juice sometimes in the summer. But the problems with fruit juice stem from the amount of sugar in them. Natural fruit juices are much healthier because of the lack of added sugar. Sugarless mixers are also much healthier for cocktails instead of mixers that contain sugar.

Pregnant Women Don’t Get Enough Dental Care

Pregnant Women Don’t Get Enough Dental Care

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 14 May 2013 08:42

Dental treatment—or a lack of it—has become a problem for pregnant women.

There are numerous reasons why pregnant women don’t get the dental care they need, including dentists who are hesitant to treat these patients, women who don’t seek oral care during pregnancy or women who think dental treatment will adversely affect the pregnancy. This is a problem because pregnancy itself may lead to dental issues, such as gum disease.

The information appeared in a recent New York Times article.

Other dentists were taught not to treat pregnant women because of the possible negative ramifications. They could be worried about litigation if any harm is caused to the fetus. A 2009 survey of 351 obstetrician gynecologists indicated that 77 percent of patients saw some decline in their dental health.

In recent years, some state and dental organizations have put together some guidelines in regards to treating pregnant women. These guidelines include looking for bleeding gums or some kind of oral infection.

And it’s not as if only a few pregnant women are afflicted with these problems. Depending on the source, 60 to 75 percent of pregnant women develop gingivitis or gum disease. If untreated, it may lead to other health problems.

The coverage available for pregnant women also varies from state to state. In Oklahoma, only 28 percent of Medicaid-eligible pregnant women receive dental care. In New York in 2010, 41 percent of women on Medicaid saw a dentist, which was an increase of 11 percent from 4 years prior.

Nasal Spray Could Benefit Dental Patients

Nasal Spray Could Benefit Dental Patients

Written by Dentistry TodayTuesday, 25 June 2013 15:16

Those anesthetic injections for dental procedures may become a thing of the past.

A new anesthetic nasal spray is currently undergoing clinical trials. If proven to be successful, it may be used instead of lidocaine injections.

The information from the study appeared on the Internet and will be published in the July issue of the Journal of Dental Research. The next phase of the trial included 45 adults and the final phase was concluded as the study was awaiting publication.

The second and third phases were considered successful and the spray may soon be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It’s conceivable that the drug becomes available in the next year.

The drug was created and developed by St. Renatus and is called Kovocaine Mist. The amount of anesthesia is equivalent to that of a lidocaine injection. It could be extremely helpful for patients who refuse to visit the dentist based on a fear of needles.

The spray possesses tetracaine and oxymetazoline hydrochloride, a decongestant that lowers inflammation and bleeding. The formula comes from medicine used by ear, nose and throat doctors.