For all of us, regular dental check ups and regular visits to our dental care specialists are nothing else but just too boring routine, or sometimes too expensive necessity. Those are two main reasons why a great deal of today’s people delay or avoid visiting dental clinics, even in the cases when they are suffering from very serious toothache or gum problems. However, more and more often dental care experts are talking about very strong connections between dental diseases and many other serious health conditions, including the life threatening ones. Therefore, good personal and family dental health is a guarantee of good overall health of the family and even coming generations.

Moreover, according to the findings of recent studies, such usual factors as regular flossing and brushing, the absence of bacteria in the mouth, regular dental check ups, and real concern about our dental health can not only prevent scores of serious illnesses, but also lead to substantial improvement in most of the existing health conditions. Finally, the British Dental Association experts tell us that a proper oral hygiene and regular dental care can even save our lives at a certain point. Supported with such factors as leading a healthy lifestyle, getting rid of bad habits, following a healthy diet, and monitoring own general health condition regularly, proper dental care can boost our health and be a lifesaver!

In particular, it is said that a lack of dental care can initially lead in increased amounts of peridontal bacteria, causing built-up of plaque, gum bleeding and irritating the gums. Those are actually outsets of gum disease. As a result, a great deal of the bacteria go into our bloodstream and reach the main body organs and systems causing serious health conditions and diseases of the organs. In particular, research has shown that a lack of dental care is linked to much higher risks of cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and a stroke. According to cardiologists at the University of Athens, there are links between gum disease and elevated blood pressure. Experts at the American Academy of Periodontology say that oral bacteria can cause lung diseases and respiratory problems which are quite common in children and increase the importance of family dental health.

Besides, a study by a group of specialists by the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney Disease resulted in finding the links between gum disease and diabetes mellitus. Actually, it is reported that people who have type 2 diabetes have about 3 times higher chances to suffer from gum disease as well, but there is still no proper prove of the fact that gum disease can be caused by diabetes itself. American scientists at the University of Alabama found out that gum disease is connected with increased concentrations of prostaglandin, a compound that induces labor and causes premature birth. Problems with gums and teeth are very often linked to bad bone heath and increase risks of osteoporosis. Finally, according to the most recent statistics, those who have gum disease have twice less chances to live longer than 64 years compared to the people with excellent own and family dental health.

Tags: dental care, family dental health

Posted: May 4th, 2012 under Dental Care for Every Day.
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We all know that the basic rules of effective dental care embrace three simple steps: brushing our teeth twice a day, flossing our teeth daily, and visiting our dental care specialist for a dental check-up once per ever 6 months. For some of us, it can be hard or sometimes impossible to observe these easy rules. For instance, what will we do if we do not have a good toothbrush at hand? For such moments of our life, scientists say, we can use our fingers for usual rubbing toothpaste on the teeth and gums (with or without toothbrush). According to the findings of a group of Swedish scientists, from the University of Gothenburg, rubbing toothpaste can be as effective as traditional brushing our teeth.

After a series of the experiments, Swedish dental care experts developed this new interesting technique for brushing our teeth, which can help us not only improve our basic dental health but also substantially reduce the risks of having very serious dental problems like tooth decay and tooth loss. Dr Anna Nordstrom, one of the study leaders, reported that: ‘Rubbing toothpaste onto your teeth increases the fluoride protection by 400 per cent.‘ The study was focused on analyzing the effects of fluoride on the most common toothpastes we all used for our daily brushing. 16 volunteers were asked to use such toothpastes several times a day, and the technique of finger rubbing was tested.

It turned out that simple massaging toothpaste into our tooth enamel with our fingertips can help strengthen our enamel and receive an excellent “fluoride shot”. It allows us using the maximized effects of fluoride to protect our dental health and lower the risks of all main dental problems. However, this procedure should be used only in conjunction with usual brushing two times a day, the experts underline. ‘This should not replace brushing with a fluoride toothpaste morning  and evening – it’s an extra,’ Dr. Nordstrom said. Also, she says that it is necessary to avoid rinsing our moth with water after rubbing toothpaste in our teeth surface.

Using such kind of fluoride treatments is a bit controversial. Fluoride is a mineral that is known to strengthen our tooth enamel and prevent many serious dental conditions. That is why in many houses we have fluoridated water (however, the number of such houses has been drastically decreasing lately, especially in the UK). Some scientists believe that fluoride is harmful to our health. In particular, it can cause increased risk of bone cancer in young kids, as well as elevated risks of developing serious digestive problems including stomach ulcers.  However, the experts of the British Dental Association recognize most of the existing fluoride dental treatments as safe and effective for our dental health and reducing the risks of dental problems.

Tags: rubbing toothpaste

Posted: March 29th, 2012 under Dental Care for Every Day.
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Falling a victim of infections can cause very serious problems and even life threatening diseases, even if you visit the best dental clinics and dental offices. Earlier this month, an 82-year-old Italian woman caught a severe type of pneumonia known as Legionnaires’ disease, which, according to the investigation of the experts, came from the water in her dentist’s office. The findings about the case were recently published in the Lancet magazine.

It turned out that during the incubation period, the old lady who found herself suffering from this serious form of pneumonia, left her house only twice, to visit her dental specialist. The tests of dental water used in that very office, as well as in other dental offices of major Italian cities have shown that water lines carry a great deal of very dangerous bacteria and infections. It is considered that the most common sources of infections include public eating places and air conditioning systems, the experts call for checking out water line as a possible source of infections and bacteria.

The woman was diagnosed with the disease caused by Legionella pneumophil, the bacterial strain that commonly found in water line and that causes Legionnaires’ disease. However, according to Maria Luisa Ricci of the Italian National Health Service, there is something unclear about this situation. “As far as we are aware, no case of Legionnaires’ disease has been associated with this source of infection,” she said. That is why the American Dental Association (ADA) specialists were involved in this investigation, as well as formulating new strategies and new policies regarding launching new infection control standards.

“Since the ADA convened a special task force in the mid-1990s focusing on infection prevention, there have been a number of recommendations made to treat the water and keep the number of bacteria down,” an Italian expert says. The ADA recommend Italian dentists control chemical content of line water that is used in their dental offices much more closely in order to avoid possible infections and serious diseases. It is also recommended to avoid using bad quality municipal line water and install special water reservoirs filled with filtered water free of harmful elements and bacteria.

Legionella pneumophil is the bacteria that can be found not only in line water, but in other places as well. “Legionella is found in old homes, shower heads and anywhere else there can be stagnant water,” said John Molinari, the ADA’s spokesman on infection control. Fortunately, it is reported that dental specialists in most of the countries do take precautions as to the water they use in their dental offices. However, Italian specialists should pay more attention to the issue, the experts say.

Tags: bacteria, line water

Posted: March 8th, 2012 under Dental Care for Every Day.
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