Children's Dental Disease And The Domino Effect

Poor oral health , dental disease , and tooth pain can put children at a serious disadvantage in school according to a new study in the American Journal of Public Health . The study examined nearly 1,500 socioeconomically disadvantaged elementary and high school children in the Los Angeles School District , matching their oral health status to their academic achievement and attendance records. The study found that children who reported having recent tooth pain were 4 times more likely to have a lower grade point average when compared to children without oral pain . Also poor oral health seem to cause more absences from school for children and more missed work for their parents .

Baby Teeth Have New Role

A team of San Antonio scientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center found in the baby teeth of otherwise healthy children and analyzed their enviornmental past exposure to medicines , pesticides and other chemicals as well as the presence of fatty acids thought to protect against damage from these enviormental toxins. The theory of potential links between autism and enviornmental toxic exposure being higher in autistic children than compared toi healthy children . Nobody knows what enviorment and what genes contribute to autism , so the next big step in finding out what people have been exposed to during the critical periods of child development . According to scientists , the advantages of looking for early exposure in baby teeth are many ; they're plentiful , and there's lots of research showing exactly when and how each tooth is fromed , both in the womb and in the first months after birth . So the prescence of a toxin in a certain tooth or part of tooth can point to the point at which the exposure occured and link the development of autism in that child's development.

New CDC Study

A new study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nearly half of US adults have some level of periodontal disease . The study found that about 47% of US adults aged 30 years and older have gum disease . In adults aged 65 years and older , an estimated 70 % have gum disease . The study , conducted on 3,743 adults shows the prevalence of periodontal(gum) disease is high – nearly half of all American adults have gum disease , and the percentage increases to nearly three fourths of older adults . Among the key findings of the study were that for adults 30 years old and older , 8.7% have mild gum disease , 30% have moderate and 8.5% have severe gum disease. The percents are higher in males, Mexican descent , with under a high school education , income below 100% of federal poverty levels and current smokers , these were the factors that increased the likelihood of more severe gum disease.

Mothers Linked To Teen Decay

Early maternal enabling factors(education , cognitive abilities , psychological stress) and psychosocial factors(stress , coping , social support) are important predictors of adolescent decay according to a study published in the September issue of Journal of Dental Research .Researchers examined the teeth of 224 adolescent participants and found that children having access to dental insurance , fluoride treatments and sealants when they were younger did not always prevent them from developing decay by the time they were 14 years old . What they did find was that if the mothers had education beyond high school , were healthy emotionally and had knowledge about eating right then their children had healthier teeth . The researcher concluded that the moms needed to care for themselves physically and emotionally to help their children. The researchers used an analogy , such as the emergency instructions on airplanes that say that the mothers need to put on their masks first and then help their children…….how can a mother help her child if she passes out ?.......its all common sense but some mothers may need help .

Don't Trust Your Sweet Tooth !

Your sweet tooth may be a sugar hound when it comes to finding sugars in places like candies, cakes and soft drinks … but beware! There are decay-causing sweets hidden in places you may never have even considered. Take medicines for example. Many drugs, both over-the-counter and prescription, contain sugar, especially cough syrups and lozenges. Even vitamins and antibiotic syrups can hide anywhere from 10-75% sugar. That's plenty enough to cause decay. Ever wonder why breath mints taste so good? Unless they say sugar-free, half of what you are sucking on may be sugar. Antacid tablets are another guilty sweet. They range from 10-50% sugar. You might as well have some candy. That's not all. Sugar isn't always called sugar. Many products contain sweets sugar-coated in exotic sounding names. Check labels for words like turbinado, invert sugar, coupling sugar, sorghum and cane syrup, corn syrup, fructose, glucose, galactose and lactose, honey, and raw or brown sugar. They're all really the same thing ... sugar! If you're serious about eliminating dental disease from your life, you're going to have to rely on more than your sweet tooth to avoid sugars. Read food labels carefully. You may even want to pack a magnifying glass so you can make out the small print. If you do eat anything that contains sugar, rinse your mouth immediately and brush as soon as possible .

So Many Choices !

It used to be easy to choose a toothpaste. Nowadays there are so many kinds, it can be confusing and difficult to decide which toothpaste is best suited for your smile. Here’s a helpful guide offering descriptions of different toothpastes and how they work: Tartar Control – These help prevent tartar (the hardened plaque that can lead to gum disease) from building up on teeth, and may even reduce it by as much as 36%. It is important to note that these toothpastes only remove tartar above the gumline and only a professional dental cleaning can remove it below the gumline. Baking Soda – With its mild abrasive action, baking soda helps to remove stains from teeth. These pastes don’t have any proven effect on periodontal disease, but because you may like the taste and feel of this kind of toothpaste, you might brush more often. Be careful though as excessive use may irritate your gums. Desensitizing – These products help decrease your tooth sensitivity to hot or cold drinks and food. They work by providing extra protection on exposed root surfaces of your teeth. It will take about four to six weeks of regular use before you notice any sensitivity improvement. You should have your sensitivity checked by us first, to be sure it is not the result of a more serious problem. Antibacterial – These brands control mild superficial inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) by reducing levels of bacterial plaque. They won’t reverse more severe gum disease. Whiteners – Whitening toothpastes can be abrasive on tooth enamel so do not use them exclusively. If you do want your teeth whitened, talk to us. These pastes really aren’t strong enough to make a difference. Regardless of which toothpaste you choose, you still need to brush at least twice a day using a soft-bristled toothbrush. It is also important to floss once a day, as even the best toothbrush and toothpaste can’t remove plaque trapped between teeth.

Risky Business Teeth Whitening

Believe it or not, people have been whitening their teeth for more than one hundred years. If it’s done right, whitening can be a safe, inexpensive, and dramatic way to whiten your smile. Techniques and materials have improved greatly over the years, and so have their whitening and stain-removing abilities. There are two approaches to whitening teeth. You can have it done in the dental office, or you can do your own whitening at home. Both are effective, but if you’re thinking of using a TV whitening kit, make sure you understand the risks! No one can guarantee the results of whitening, but we are up-to-date on all the latest agents and techniques. We have better ways to control the potentially harmful effects, and can do the job faster and more effectively. We also have a lot of experience in determining which teeth are good choices for whitening and which ones need other treatments. Stains can be caused by many things that can’t be helped by whitening, such as decay and amalgam fillings. Some do-it-yourself tooth whitening products advertised on TV work in much the same way as our whitening products, but the results you get are not nearly as predictable. This doesn’t mean that TV home whitening doesn’t work ... they’re just a more risky choice.