What are your thoughts on this topic? Should US schools start providing free dental care to school aged children? If you agree, why? If you disagree, why?
Some of the items they mention in their article is that a mouth guard is not required equipment in many school and recreational sports around the nation.
In fact, the American Association of Orthodontists survey suggests that 84% of children playing organized sports do NOT wear mouthguards.
It is definitely an important aspect of protection to raise awareness by.
Many people lose teeth due to accidents and injuries.
While I certainly do support the ADA's declaration of Facial Protection Month - more awareness is needed in multiple areas.
Not The Biggest Cause Of Tooth Loss
The biggest cause of tooth loss, bar none, is actually gum disease. That means that more people will lose one or more teeth to gum disease more often than to injuries and accidents.
I am not downplaying the potential for sports injuries to cause serious damage to faces, jaws and teeth. But I am saying that more people this year will lose teeth to gum disease than any other cause. Understanding gum disease is the first step.
Many people just do not understand this threat to their dental health. Most dental professionals believe that about 3 out of every 4 or 75% of people have some gum disease right now!
Yet, most have no idea that they do. They often are not told about the problem until it is time for a relatively expensive treatment.
More often than not, it is up to the consumer / patient to understand prevention and make sure that adequate prevention steps are taken.
The problem lies in the fact that fighting / preventing gum disease is a daily battle and you only get to see your dentist a handful of times per year at most. They cannot fight the daily battles for you. It is something that each one of us need to do for ourselves.
Nice thing about this article is that they even mention cranberry juice for its antibacterial properties. I believe they intended to say that it helps to keep bacteria from adhering to the teeth and tissues.
Gingivitis is, of course, said to be the reversible form of gum disease. The article went on to remind us that when left untreated the disease will progress to lost gum tissue and eventually lost teeth.
Aside from the exceptional cranberry juice mention, we received the standard advice about brushing and flossing 2-3 times per day. However, with such a high incidence of gum disease in the world, we have to question whether JUST brushing and flossing is enough.
Periodontal Pockets
The one thing I would like to add to that information, which would actually be helpful to people, is the generally objective measurement of gum health called - periodontal pocket depths. It would be absolutely fantastic to let people know that those measurements are important and why.
Of course, that would mean - gulp - empowering patients to make - gasp - their own choices.
NOT really! But, it does help patient's understand what they need to do to improve their dental health and a way to measure their results. Without such an understanding, it is really hard to just follow advice.
Give someone a goal to go after and LOOK out! Of course, that is not true of everyone, but I think it would be helpful to a lot of people! You do still need your dentist or hygienist to actually measure those depths - so it is not like people will stop visiting their dentist.
I think many people actually enjoy getting their teeth cleaned. I know I do!
Thanks to Noble Smile Dentistry for writing a helpful article on dental health.
We should not overlook, nor forget about prevention. Many
expensive dental procedures could be avoided in the first place, if
patient's were more educated about prevention. My favorite.
Nice article. However, it is rather lengthy. Let me break it down to the simple facts.
Basically, they figured out that medicaid cuts are allowing people only one alternative, an emergency room visit or office visit that will allow only for a pulled tooth.
But pulled teeth are quite expensive and so are their replacements. "They" have realized that prevention is more cost effective than having someone wait to have a tooth pulled. A cheaper procedure earlier or prevention would do the job just fine! Thank you.
This is the problem today. Prevention does pay. It pays for the government to support as we see in this article. But more importantly, it pays individuals - no matter what socioeconomic class they may be in.
You see, lost teeth are expensive, no matter how you look at. Something has to be placed in that lost space. Either a partial / full denture or a costly implant for those who have the money. But problems don't always stop there!
Loss of another tooth means modification to a denture or a new implant. Gum disease is a big reason people lose their teeth.
Prevention pays. I'll say it again. This is the biggest message this website can give you. Please help to spread the word.
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Do not overlook / forget about prevention as well. Many
expensive dental procedures could be avoided in the first place, if
patient's were more educated about prevention. My favorite.
* I speak in general terms in this article. Specific questions about
your unique dental health situation should be directed to your
periodontist or dentist. They can provide you with advice, diagnosis
and treatment, this article cannot do that nor does it attempt to do so.
But, I hope it has helped to empower you with the information that
make a big difference in your dental health from hereon!
Dr. Ellie Phillips has really done a lot to further the cause of preventing dental health problems. This is something that should interest those who want to better protect their dental health and improve their odds of avoiding costly and painful treatments.
Keeping your teeth for a lifetime of good service is powered by prevention!
Thank you for all of your contributions, Dr. Ellie!
Congratulations to Dr. Duncker on becoming certified to perform this procedure!
Hopefully Dr. Duncker fully supports prevention and his educating his patients so that they may never need this procedure done.
A good dentist will certainly report to his patients the depth of their periodontal pockets on every office visit. This is a key indicator in the diagnosis of gum disease.
You will know when you are in danger with these numbers, so it is important that your hygienist or dentist tell you what these numbers are. You don't want to be surprised by an expensive treatment, do you?
If you dentist's office is currently providing these numbers to you, be sure to ask them on every visit. By staying on top of the problem of gum disease, you can avoid a lot of expensive hassles down the road.
The cost of dental surgery in the US, as I am sure you are probably aware or can guess, is quite high. If you can manage to keep your gums healthy through prevention you can save yourself a lot of money over the remaining decades / years of your life.
*
I speak in general terms only on this site. Specific questions about
your unique dental health situation should be addressed by your doctor
or periodontist.
Essential oils have been known to kill bacteria. Whether this blend is going to make a huge difference in your dental health is an interesting question to ask.
I tend to think this blend could be helpful, particularly in combination with use of the hydrofloss oral irrigator. As the author of the book: What You Should Know About Gum Disease - I would say that the Hydro Floss is the most powerful and useful tool or product I have come across.
I suspect it does the most good for the most people.
No one can suggest a cure for periodontal disease. That's just not possible. What you can talk about is control of harmful bacterial populations. This is because you can never fully get rid of the bacteria in your mouth, no matter what you try.
One should always be under the care of a dentist or periodontist. It is important that they monitor the health of your gums.
The key measurement and probably the most objective / effective one is the measurement of your periodontal pocket depths.
If you are able to get those down to 3mm or below, most dental professionals would probably say your gums are healthy at that point.
Therefore, whatever you do at home, you are looking for the change it causes in your periodontal pocket measurement numbers on your next office visit.
Or course, every human body is different and no one thing works for every person 100% of the time. The only way to know is to try something and watch your results. I speak in general terms only here and specific questions about your unique dental health situation should be directed to your dentist or periodontist. They can provide advice, diagnosis and treatment. This site cannot and does not attempt to do that.
* I speak in general terms only on this site. Specific questions
about your unique dental health situation should be addressed by your
doctor or periodontist.
Yes, drinking coffee is bad for your teeth in at least two important ways.
First, coffee is very acidic. This means it will directly break down your tooth enamel.
Second, acidity is something that the bad bacteria love. When the mouth environment becomes acidic, the bad bacteria multiply more rapidly. Since their waste products are also acidic, they produce even more acid to attack your tooth enamel.
Similar bacteria can cause gum disease and even bad breath.
If you have concerns about your mouth pH, there are very few pH balanced mouthwashes that can help. Here is one.
It would be very difficult for most people to just stop drinking coffee. So, at the very least, pay attention to things you can do to balance your pH back after consuming this acidic beverage.
Rinsing immediately with water can help, at least a little bit. The use of a pH balanced mouthwash can be helpful. Chewing a 100%, sweetened with xylitol, gum or mint can also help. The xylitol amount should probably be a minimum of .72 grams per piece. You can find some here.
Some people sip coffee all day long. As you can probably imagine, this keeps a constant barrage of acidity in your mouth.
[If you hate coffee breath, try this chewing gum. ]
While the saliva can work to drive minerals back into the enamel, it will have a lot of difficulty overcoming a constant barrage of acidity. It is like a chemical reaction a neutral pH will help drive minerals in. Acidity may move things in the opposite and wrong direction.
As you can probably surmise, this can be one contributing factor to the development of tooth decay.
See the video below for commentary on 'cracked and broken teeth'.
* I speak in general terms only. If you have specific questions about your unique dental health situation, direct those questions to your periodontist or dentist.
A St. Louis doctor and his hygienist were able to stop the progression of gum disease and help a patient avoid surgery who, under normal circumstances, would typically be referred for surgery.
This is, of course, a good thing.
Education is Really The Key
The article went on to say that 1/2 of all people have gum disease. However, many professionals put the number far higher.
The article correctly states that gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss. The problem is one of education and prevention.
If people understood that they can have more control over their dental health by disrupting that plaque on a daily basis, they would most likely have a lot less problems and smaller dental health bills in the future.
I spoke to a woman recently that only gets her teeth cleaned once every five years. I was a tiny bit surprised. This person cited the high cost of dental care as the reason she only gets the cleaning once every 5 years.
The problem is that this 'cleaning' ends up being the more expensive 'deep cleaning'. We certainly cannot fault someone for wanting to save money. But, wouldn't it be wonderful if the costs of regular cleanings could be brought down to the point that people would feel good about getting their teeth cleaned at least twice-per-year?
I know that is wishful thinking, you don't have to tell me. Dental hygienists are the unsung heroes of dental care. They get in their and really clean things out for the patient. It is just too bad that many patients seem to be unable to keep the plaque and tartar buildup between office visits to a minimum.
Could education and a focus on effective prevention tools and techniques help reduce the problems? I personally like the Hydro Floss. Many dentists and hygienists have found that it can really help their patients do a better job at home.
I am glad that the dentist and hygienist were able to save at least one of their patients from invasive treatments. Wouldn't it be great if more could be saved from that in a cost effective and simple way?
Studies have shown that electric toothbrushes can be more effective. Let's think about why that may be true.
One of the major reasons I think this is helpful is because of the timers that most electrics have.
You see, it has been suggested that each time we brush we should brush for about 2 minutes.
Two minutes is actually a long time. It doesn't seem like it, but it is. Therefore, most of us actually brush far less, even though we think it is more in our minds.
You can test this by timing yourself. If you are not used to brushing for a full 2 minutes you will quickly realize it when you are using a timer. You will think it is 'taking forever'.
The point of brushing your teeth is to manually disrupt plaque. This is very important. The circular electronic motion of the brushing or sonic action for some brushes, may do a better job of that than manually brushing.
However, if you are truly taking your time and doing a good job with a manual brush, you could conceivable also be effective.
The time is one of the biggest factors. This is where many fall short. The timer on an electric can help to keep you on track.
Looks like the Eastside Family Dental Clinic in Santa Barbara is rewarding kids and parents with a "Cavity Free Certificates" on Wednesday February 27th 2013! They children will also be picking a toy out of a treasure chest.
The Eastside Family Dental Clinic started this program as a way to reward kids and parents for excellent 'toothbrushing' skills.
In addition, children get their pictures placed on an 'honor role' / cavity free board. Another awesome idea. They had 45 kids last year and expect 60 this year.
That's awesome. It's definitely a step in the right direction!
I would love to see more dental clinics doing the same. Bravo to Eastside for this great program.
This sounds like a great program for raising awareness and rewarding efforts. Wouldn't it be cool if every dental clinic had a program like this?
I congratulate the Eastside Family Dental Clinic in Santa Barbara for
putting forth great efforts towards instilling good dental hygiene
habits in children.
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By now, you all now what my favorite home dental health tool is.
Yes, they can be yummy and quite delicious! But, what about their impact on your teeth?
Sugary breakfast cereals can get pretty sticky when they are wet (with milk). When you grind them down with your teeth they break into nice sugary bombs that are just small enough to get stuck in the crevices of your teeth.
That pure sugar can then begin to feed the 'bad bacteria' that secrete the acids that can damage your tooth enamel as well as the health of your gum tissue! Gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss after all.
If you look carefully, you might even discover that those little sugar laden particles are still crammed into some of the crevices of your teeth even after you brush AND floss.
OUCH. That means they can continue to do damage. What if you drink a soda or cup of coffee on top of that? Oh, more acid accumulates!
Anyway, what do you do when you can't get rid of those little pesky crushed up and mashed in flakes of delightful sugar stuck in your teeth?
You might want to try oral irrigation. This is where a nice gentle stream of water is used to dislodge particles and substances stuck on and between your teeth. Many people remark that even after brushing and flossing, irrigation dislodges more stuff.
Our modern diet is a monster. From carbohydrate and sucrose laden foods that stick to the crevices of our teeth, to the acidic sodas and beverages we like to consume, we are constantly adding fuel to the fire of decay.
It is a wonder that people do not have more cavities than they do. Then there is the question of :
When is a cavity really a cavity?
Dentists know that the beginning stages of a cavity are reversible. The teeth, like other body tissues, can heal. The problem is determining when the line is crossed and a cavity really DOES need to be filled.
This becomes more complicated when you learn that visiting 3 or more different dentists yields very different diagnoses and ideas about 'what must be done' to 'fix' your mouth.
If you are ever in doubt, go get a second or even third opinion. You will quickly learn that perceptions can vary greatly. This leaves you with a feeling of "What's going on here?"
Dentists are fully aware that this happens. It is not a surprise to them to learn that other dentists have different opinions.
One woman I spoke to said that she went to a dentist who said she had 8 cavities to be filled. Another dentist told her far less. So it is interesting, isn't it?
One time, a dentist told me that I had a cavity. I waited until my next visit and saw a different dentist in the SAME office. The second dentist told me there was no cavity there.
Another time, a dentist told me I had three cavities. I was suspicious about that. I went to another dentist who did not agree with the first one.
The first dentist also told me I might need a crown if he were to fix the leaky filling that I went to visit him for. He actually said that he would not know until 'he got in there'. How convenient that he had a crown making machine right there in the office!
The second dentist told me there was no way he would need to place a crown and that he could easily replace that filling - which he did - without the need for a crown.
If you ask around, you might hear similar stories from your friends and circles. So, if you are ever in doubt, go ahead and get that second or even third opinion.
There ARE good dentist out there, you just need to be selective about who you allow to work on your mouth.
Helping Yourself To Prevent Cavities and Broken Teeth
One of the key understandings about your teeth is that they are constant undergoing rebuilding or tearing down. This is greatly influenced by the pH of your mouth.
The saliva is striving to help your enamel stay strong. When you have a higher pH in your mouth then you are helping the saliva to drive minerals into the tooth enamel.
When you have an acidic mouth, you may be directly influencing that reaction in the wrong way. In addition, the acid producing or 'bad' bacteria reproduce faster in an acidic mouth. This causes a greater build of acidity. A 'loop' so to speak.
Some of the things we eat and drink are quite acidic! Coffee and colas are among some of the most acidic beverages around.
Now, I am not suggesting a drastic alteration to your diet and lifestyle - as that is not always very practical.
Instead, consider paying particular attention to the pH balance of your mouth. Perhaps pH balances mouthwash such as these can help? Maybe if you focus on rebalancing pH after that acidic coffee or soda, you could help your teeth stay stronger?
At any rate, this is a big clue to helping you prevent cavities. The mouth pH is very important. Acidic foods and beverages serve to undermine the natural strengthening that our saliva attempts to perform.
* I speak in general terms here. Specific questions about your unique dental health situation should be directed towards your periodontist or dentist. They can also provide advice, diagnosis and treatment, while this article cannot and does not.
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Today's date is February 24th 2013.
Governor Quinn, according to the above site, has declared February as: "Gum Disease Awareness Month".
This is great. Another state is joining the call for awareness. I wrote about Oklahoma the other day.
In the article, they mention that 85% of people have some gum disease and less than half of them know it. That should be a wake up call for everyone who reads this!
This is why it is so important that people have more awareness about this problems. Gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss. Yet, some people lose teeth and get implants or dentures and still don't know the reason.
Creating awareness is one of the reasons I wrote my book: What You Should Know About Gum Disease. ISBN: 978-0981485508
If people just knew a little more, they might be able to save themselves from expensive dental treatments down the road. Moreover, they would have a better chance at keeping all of their teeth for a lifetime of good service.
I applaud Governor Quinn for making this proclamation and I also applaud Oklahoma for doing the same thing. I would like to see more states follow suite and more dental organizations too!
Dr. Danz is a New York Dentist interested in helping patients avoid or mitigate the possible links between heart disease and gum disease.
Given that p gingivalis has been found in the plaque lining the heart arteries, it is indeed a bit suspicious. This bacteria has been identified as one that causes gum disease.
The tissue between blood vessels and gums is indeed rather thin. It does not take a great imagination to realize the likelihood of these bacteria spreading right into the blood stream.
This is a bit scary. And no one wants to scare anyone. I should mention that while researchers have found a lot of connections between various diseases and gum disease, in few instances are they absolutely certain of what that connection is.
Research is ongoing, but many professionals and researchers are confident of the connections. Diabetes, heart disease, lung infections, mouth cancer, preterm babies and a number of other potential connections have been found.
More research is needed of course. But it any case, it makes it even more important to spend time mitigating or preventing gum disease.
Gum disease, unfortunately, is also the number one cause of tooth loss! Many dental professionals will tell you that about 75% of people or 3 out of every 4 have some gum disease right now!
That's not meant to scare you. It is only meant to underscore the serious nature of this problem.
I wrote the book: What You Should Know About Gum Disease: A Layman's Guide To Fighting Gum Disease to help people understand more about this problem. I wrote it in easy-to-understand terms. What you do at home has the greatest impact on your dental health.
Thanks to Dr. Danz for helping to spread the word about this terrible disease that so many have and so many are unaware of.
I like the fact that Doctor Quynh explains the fact that many patients have little to no awareness about this disease. She also explained that even those who are suffering from it are not even aware.
I want to congratulate Doctor Quynh for helping to raise awareness of this terrible problem that may be affecting 75% or 3 out of every 4 people1 It's important that people learn more about this problem because gum disease is the number one reason that people lose their teeth!
What I Didn't Like
Doctor Quynh explains that she does a thorough cleaning and then has the patient maintain a strict regimen for a couple of weeks.
The problem I see here is that it should be stressed that fighting / preventing gum disease is a daily struggle. Every single day people should mechanically disrupt plaque. The need to fight this battle does not stop after two weeks or when the swelling goes down.
She also didn't mention what this strict regimen entailed. That is disappointing. Did she only mean brushing and flossing? Was there more that she had her patients do?
There are many tools in addition to dental floss and a toothbrush. There is the perio-aid, xylitol, ph balanced, oxygenated mouthwash, essential oils and the Hydro Floss - but there is no mention of any of those in the article.
Wouldn't it be useful for readers to understand what a 'strict' daily regimen looked like? But, I don't intend to be harsh. It's great that she is explaining that people need to be better educated about this problem.
Thanks Dr. Quynh For Writing That Article.
I think it is great anytime a person writes an article or takes the time to educate people about how serious this disease is. That's why I wrote my book: What You Should Know About Gum Disease.
If people just had a little bit of knowledge and understanding, I think that many, many people could avoid expensive treatments that become necessary from having gum disease and lost teeth. If people just knew a little more, much could be prevented.
It's not overly technical and it is not complicated. People just need to know a few things! But it is true, that not everything works for everyone. Every human body is different. This article explains more.
* I speak in general terms only. Specific questions about your unique dental health situation should be directed to your dentist or periodontist. They can answer those questions and provide you with advice, diagnosis and treatment. This article cannot do that. But I hope it helps you to figure out how to prevent expensive problems down the road.
I thought it would be fun to list these dental health books that are worth reading. The authors of these books have challenged the standard preconceived notions about dental health. They are all interesting and speak from interesting perspectives.
1. Root Canal Cover Up- George Meinig, DDS. Dr. Meinig explains one of the biggest problems with root canals. If you have or are about to get a root canal, it would be to your benefit to read this book and understand what kind of problems can occur. This is wonderful book from a doctor with tons of experience, just like the book above.
If you care about dental health, this is a must read. Same Topic: There is a documentary called "Root Cause" - if you are worried about root canals, whether you have had one or it is being recommended to you, you should probably watch this documentary.
2. Cure Tooth Decay - Ramiel Nagel and Timothy Gallagher, DDS. This book is all about nutritional changes that can impact your dental health. I have some objections to this book.
I don't agree with everything in this book. But, the general information and "most" of the nutritional information is good. I would say this: Don't eat raw meats. Don't eat raw organ meats. Don't use 'fermented' cod liver oil. Regular cod liver oil is fine. Other than that, most of this book has good information in it.
3. Oral Health Bible - Dr. Bonner. Great insight into your dental health.
4. The Dental Diet - Dr. Steve Lin discusses one of the most hidden aspects of your dental health - The Dental Diet!
Finally, at the risk of sounding self-serving I have to mention my own book. This is because gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss bar none. Lot's of people lose a tooth or teeth to gum disease. They get a denture or implant and still don't know the root cause of their problem. This ignorance can lead to more lost teeth and more expense.
Therefore, I think my book is very important and every family should have a copy.
* On this site, I speak in general terms only. For specific questions about your unique dental health situation, be sure to direct those questions to your dentist or periodontist.
