TROUBLE THINKING?

TROUBLE THINKING?

A new study suggested that good oral health care (brushing, flossing, and visiting your dentist) may help aging adults keep their thinking skills intact.

Research has already established a strong association between poor oral health and heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, as well as Alzheimer's disease. Gum disease can cause inflammation throughout the body, a risk factor for loss of mental function.

The findings, reported in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry this month, are based on more than 2300 men and women who were tested for periodontitis and completed numerous thinking skills tests as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III conducted between 1991 and 1994. Overall 5.7 percent of the adults had trouble completing certain memory tasks and 6.5 percent failed reverse subtraction tests. Participants with the highest (greater than 119 units) versus the lowest (57 units or lower) pathogen levels were most likely to do poorly in these tests.

ALOE VERA FIGHTS TOOTH DECAY

The aloe vera plant has a long history of healing power. A team of dental researches from India have found that aloe vera tooth gel can be as effective as toothpaste for fighting tooth decay.

The antimicrobial effects of aloe vera have been attributed to the plant's natural anthraqinones, chemical compounds that are used in healing and arresting pain because of their analgesic, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory effects. Aloe vera tooth gel does not contain the abrasive elements typically found in commercial toothpaste so it tends to be less harsh on teeth, making it a good alternative for people with sensitive teeth or gums.

MERCURY AND AUTISM

Children with and without autism have similar levels of mercury in their blood stream, according to a study published this week in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

The study is not an examination of whether mercury plays a role in causing the disorder. A variety of sources of mercury in the patient's environments were looked at, including fishing consumption, personal-care products, vaccinations, and dental fillings.

It's time to abandon the idea that a single 'smoking gun' will emerge to explain why so many children are developing autism. The evidence suggests that, without taking account of both genetic susceptibility and environmental factors, the story will remain incomplete.

Tooth Loss and Dementia

To keep dementia at bay, take care of your teeth. Researchers have found a possible link between tooth loss or having very few teeth- one to nine, to be exact- and the development of dementia later in life.

Dental records and brain function tests were analyzed over a period of 12 years of 144 nuns.

Among the nuns free of dementia at the first cognitive exam, those with no teeth or fewer than nine had a greater than two-fold increased risk of becoming demented later in life compared with those who had 10 or more teeth.

People who suffer from dementia are more likely than their cognitively intact counterparts to have poor oral health, largely due to neglected oral hygiene.

Common underlying conditions may simultaneously contribute to both tooth loss and brain damage, such as early life nutritional deficiencies, infections or chronic diseases.

Does poor oral health contribute to the development of dementia? The research team caution that it is not clear from the study whether the association is causal or casual. But if you want to play safe until a more definitive conclusion, keep your teeth clean!

WHITE WINE CAN DARKEN YOUR TEETH!

We all know that red wine can stain our teeth. A new study by New York University researchers found that drinking white wine can also increase the potential for teeth to take on dark stains.

The acids in wine create rough spots and grooves that enable chemicals in other beverages that cause staining, such as coffee and tea, to penetrate deeper into the tooth.

Still, red wine continues to beat out white wine when it comes to staining teeth. The stain is significantly darker compared to White wine, because reds contain a highly pigmented substance known as chromogen.

The best way to prevent staining caused by wine, as well as other beverages, is to use a tooth paste containing a whitening agent.

Talk to your dentist about your options of bleaching your teeth and have a more attractive smile.

How to be tooth decay free forever!

Dental caries is an infectious, transmissible disease that result in tooth destruction from pathological microorganisms where the enamel is demineralized in an acidic ph environment.

XYLITOL is commercially available as a noncariogenic sugar substitute with the potential to reduce caries rates by inhibiting the growth of microorganisms in the mouth.

Risk factors or biological predisposing factors to develop tooth decay include moderate to high culture levels of caries inducing microorganisms in the mouth, visible heavy plaque, frequent snacks, rough tooth surface, recreational drug use, inadequate saliva flow, saliva reduction factors (medication, radiation, systemic), exposed roots, and orthodontic appliances.

Protective factors to prevent caries include multiple sources of fluoride at home/school/work, including consumption of fluoridate drinking water, fluoride toothpaste, fluoride mouthrinse, office fluoride application, antibacterials use, like chlorhexidine, XYLITOL gum or lozenges, calcium/phosphate products, and adequate saliva flow.

Tooth decay affects more than a quarter of American children aged 2 to 5 and a half of those aged 12 to 15. In fact, tooth decay is the most common chronic disease of childhood. It can afflict people of all ages, cultures, socioeconomic levels but it is particularly severe in young children who live in poverty as well as minorities and those in poor health.

Commercial available XYLITOL is from birch tree and other hardwoods as well as fruits and vegetables. XYLITOL is found in products such as chewing gum, mints, mouthwash, toothpaste, sweetener, candy, and cookies. Studies suggest positive results with daily XYLITOL taken three to seven times per day for a total intake of 4-10 grams for ages 6 through adulthood. XYLITOL usage by a parent of caregiver should begin 3 months after delivery and until the child is 2 years of age. In large quantities (over four to five times the recommended consumption), diarrhea can result. Additionally, XYLITOL is not indicated for pets, especially dogs.

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Smoking and Gum Disease

Smoking and tabacco can have devastating effects on the heart, lungs, and other organs. However, you might not be familiar with the whole other "mouthful" of problems caused by tabacco use. Tabacco users are more likely to have calculus, a hard substance that can only be removed from your teeth during professional cleanings. If this calculus is not removed and it remains below the gum line, the bacteria in the calculus will infect the gums and release toxins that cause redness and swelling (inflammation). The inflammation and toxins cause destruction of the tissues that support the teeth, including the bone. When this happens, the gum separate from the teeth, forming pockets. Smokers and tabacco users have deeper pockets than people who do not use tabacco. These pockets fill with more plaque and bacterial toxins leading to more infection. If these pockets are left untreated, the gums may shrink away from the teeth, making the teeth appear longer and possibly causing them to become loose and fall out.

Nicotine and other chemicals found in tabacco hide the symptoms commonly associate with gum disease, such as bleeding gums, therefore the diagnosisof the condition is more difficult. Smoking and tabacco use reduce the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the gums, weaking the body's defense mechanisms. In addition to causing periodontal diseases, there are many other conditions cause by tabacco use. Many of these can affect a person's appearance, health, or self-steem: oral and lip cancer, stained teeth, bad breath, loss of taste and smell, mouth sores and spots, hairy tongue, etc.

There are more than 4,000 different toxins in cigarettes. Toxins impair the body defense mechanisms, which can leave smokers more susceptible to infections. Oral cancer causes more than 31,000 deaths each year in US. Smoking increases the person's risk of being diagnosed with oral cancer by six times more than non smokers. Men are most likely to develop the condition than women. Smoking and other tabacco use are associated with about 75% of oral cancer cases, caused by irritation of the mouth tissue from toxins and heat of cigarettes. Tabacco contains over 19 known carcinogens (causing cancer agents).

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