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dental health

Weekend Roundup – Dental Health Posts

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david-gum-disease-book-author-2.jpgI thought it would be fun to hit some of the highlights of the week.

1.  I have a new profile at blog.toothygrinsstore.com, you can see it here.

2.  Coupons are becoming increasingly important, learn about a good one here (there is a link to other good coupons on that page as well).

3. A dry mouth is hazardous to your dental health,  read more here.

4. Aktiv-Oxigen drops are cool, learn more about why oxygen is important to your dental health here.

5. Customer insights on the Hydro Floss Oral Irrigator,  read this post here.

6.  Dental Health should be available to all, it really should.   There is an economic barrier for many that should and can be overcome,  read more here.

7.  Why I like Teeth Whitening pens more than trays.  I think this is a good read for those interested in having whiter teeth.   I no longer am.

8.  Tonsil Stones can be problematic,  learn more starting here.   They can be the source of both bad breath and other symptoms.  But sometimes, they don’t bother you.

9. The cost of the Hydro Floss Oral Irrigator, this post discusses why I personally think you cannot afford to NOT have one.

10 Bad breath is such a drag!  It sure is, isn’t it?   read more

Of course, there are many more posts here https://tobeinformed.com/feed and at  blog.toothygrinsstore.com

PS:  Grab your free report (requires email submit):  How To Stop Gum Disease In 4 Easy Steps

Reasons To Get Rid Of A Dry Mouth

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Dry Mouth is bad for your health.

dry-mouthA dry mouth is an aid to bacterial growth.  The natural protection that comes from your saliva and mucous membranes have a purpose.  They work to kill off bacteria.

When the mouth is dry, the bacteria grow more rapidly.

When the mouth is dry, your saliva is not able to do one of its most important jobs – to drive minerals back into your teeth, thereby strengthening them.

A dry mouth is something you don’t want to live with.

Many medications cause dry mouth.    You can check any medications you are taking to find out if dry mouth is a side effect.

Keeping the mouth moist is very important.

These products can help.

And These coupons can help you to save on those products.

 

PS:  Dry mouth is something to pay attention to.  Don’t ignore it.

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What You Should Know About Gum Disease – Part 2

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Part 1        Part 3

What You Should Know About Gum Disease – The Layman’s Guide to Fighting Gum Disease

Best dental oral irrigator  – The one discussed in thte book

 

About This Video

In this video I read the book’s disclaimer,  the Dedications and the Acknowledgements.

You should watch this video to help honor the people mentioned in the Dedication and Acknowledgement sections

This can help you gain insight into how this book came about.

People mentioned,

My Parents

My Sister Jan

My Brother Scott

My Nephew Travis

Susan Feder my HS teacher from Oakcrest High School.

Mary Losey – A trustworthy and good friend!

Jeff Olschki – A great photographer!

Shiling Wu – For attempting to help me learn Chinese

Judi Lake – For her book design and guidance

Dr. Ellie Phillips  from Zellies.com

Teacher Li, Hongzhi – The Founder of Falun Dafa

Everyone who encouraged me along the way  – Thanks to everyone!

 

Some Mistakes in The Audio

It’s funny that I would make mistakes while reading, but I accidentally spoke a few sentences in the wrong tense.    A challenge:  See if you can catch those moments as you listen.

The sentences are written correctly in the book, but it seems there was some type of transliteration in my mind as I spoke.

We are all human, including me!

 

This book provides important information when you stopped to think about this:   Dental health professionals tell us that gum disease afflicts about 75% of people – That’s 3 out of every 4!

AND gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss!   Think about how expensive that can get.   You can really save yourself and your family with the information in this book.

 

I just received a call from an Anesthesiologist  and as we were talking he rattled off all the things that he believes gum disease contributes too.   It was a scary list.   I know that he is not the only doctor who believes that.

Research shows more and more how connected this problem is to many other problems!   So learn this information and start to protect yourself and your family today!

Part 1 

What You Should Know About Gum Disease – The Layman’s Guide to Fighting Gum Disease

Best dental oral irrigator  – The one discussed in the book

 

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The Best Oral Irrigator – With Video

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See the best oral irrigator

Of course, anytime someone uses the word ‘best’ it comes down to a matter of opinion.

I’m going to attempt to support my opinion with information and experience.

You can either watch the video or skip to underneath the video to read more.

https://www.toothygrinsstore.com/HydroFloss-p/hydrofloss01.htm

Here Is My Personal Story About Using The Hydro Floss

I had always been a little annoyed that my gums would bleed during dental cleanings. But, I thought it was normal and no one told me otherwise for years!

Then one day the hygienist and dentist decided that I would need what was called a SRP treatment or Scaling And Root Planing.

This was a shocker for me because no one explained that I was in any real danger. Nor had that dental office spent any time educating me about gum disease, which I finally figured out was the problem.

No previous diagnosis of this from my dentist.  I wasn’t given information at all in the past, except that I should think about ‘using mouthwash’ in addition to regular brushing.

The worst part of all, they wanted to do the SRP that day! Right away, I didn’t have time to think it over.

I don’t like being pushed, which is what it felt like.

I decided to say: “No”.  After all, I could always have it done later if it was necessary.

I started doing my research and I began to understand a lot more about  gum disease.  Did you know that about 75% of people have some right now?  As in my experience, most people have no clue that they have this problem.

They won’t know until it is time for expensive dental work to be performed.  Or, when they lose a tooth.

I have talked to enough people over the last few years to know that my story is NOT  at all  unique. Many people have similar or even worse ‘wake-up calls.’

Searching For The ‘Right’ Answers

I continued looking for solutions and tried some things like essential oils, oil pulling, Vitamin C and Co-Enzyme Q-10, but nothing was really having an impact.  In fact, it seemd that some things may have made it worse.

Then one day I read about the Hydro Floss with its magnetic technology. It frankly sounded a bit strange to me at the time.

But, I figured I needed to do something, because that Scaling and Root Planing is nothing that I wanted to experience.

I used the Hydro Floss ‘religiously’ (more than I actually needed to as  I later found out) for five months!

When I went back to the same dentist she looked at my mouth and I could see the look of amazement on her face as well as that of the hygienist.

Finally, the dentist said after several minutes of staring into my mouth, “Whatever you are doing, keep it up. You don’t need that treatment anymore.”

The Journal of Clinical Periodontology published two studies on the Hydro Floss

The first was in May of 1993 and the second was in April of 1998. The second researcher, I have been told, intended to prove the first set of results wrong.

To her surprise, she actually obtained slightly better results than the first study.

What were those results? Simple, they showed that the Hydro Floss was about (not exactly) 50% better at reducing tartar and plaque build up between office visits than irrigators tested without the magnetic technology.

Tartar and plaque are where gum disease really gets its strength.

In scientific research a figure like 45 or 50% is considered “statistically significant”. That basically means it is outside the range where you might suspect the results were ‘accidental’ or perhaps ‘not meaningful’.

These two studies were both published in the professional journal of periodontists mentioned above.

Read More About The Hydro Floss

About The Author

Your Dental Health In Trying Economic Times…

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It seems that now more than every, people need to find ways to save money. By preventing gum disease you can save plenty.

Professionals tell us that 3 out of every 4 people have gum disease. This is truly not an aging disease! You can be six years old and have it.

It is just that over time the damage of this insidious disease shows up, causing receding gums and possibly lost teeth.

Yet, many people think this is quite normal. But I assure you that just because it happens to so many people does not mean that it is normal! What it means is that many people just have no idea about the danger they are in or what to do about it.

A dentist can certainly do expensive work on you. This can cost you thousands of dollars to correct receded gum lines and replace lost teeth. One man said that he spend $26,000 dollars in getting some of his teeth replaced. That’s expensive.

Could you imagine the difference that $100 worth of prevention could make! ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure as the saying goes!’

I can only sound the alarm and tell you that many people are in danger in regards to their periodontal health.

If you want to learn more about a powerful tool that has helped many to escape costly treatments and lost teeth, check this out:

https://www.toothygrinsstore.com/HydroFloss-p/hydrofloss01.htm

And if you have any holidays or birthdays coming up – The gift of better dental health is one that keeps on giving, year after year after year.   You can save pain, money and lost time!

Of course, I speak in general terms here.  If you have a specific question about your unique dental health situation, be sure to ask your dentist for answers!

 

Dental Care Neglected In Financially Hard Times?

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dental health in trying financial timesI read a recent article at dentistryiq.com  about a survey that indicates people are cutting back on their dental health care during these financially frustrating times.

I would never advocate giving up your recommended checkups and cleanings because they are important.   I thin you should go no matter what.

However, if you have made the decision to cut back then it would be in your best interest to tighten up your home care measures.  I mean drastically improve them.

While this  publication is specifically geared towards gum disease, the same principles can help in other areas of maintaing dental health as well.  Of course, specific questions should go to your doctor.

Here is a link to : How To Stop Gum Disease in 4 Easy Steps

So, what was this survey on dental health about?   This does not appear to be scientific at all, but it has stated that it was conducted by “Oral Health America” – an organization that I really know nothing about.

What the article at the dentistryiq site says is:

“CHICAGO, Illlinois–A recent public opinion survey commissioned by Oral Health America found that in the past year, more than one-third (35%) of those who regularly visit the dentist have cut back.

 Though this finding tracks with the fears and realities of the current U.S. economy, routine dental visits play a vital role in preventing oral and systemic disease and keeping future health-care costs down. ”    link

They do not seem to mention ‘how much’ people have cut back.   I am not certain that the survey method they utilized has produced statistically accurate results either.

Yet, it does seem possible that people may cut back on their dental care services in a time when the economy is struggling.

In dental matters, PREVENTION is key to helping us to avoid expensive treatments and dental health issues.

This is true regardless of the economic situation of a nation or an individual.  Without solid prevention measures, expensive bills may not be avoidable.

I remember reading that one doctor said, “Many people are headed for gum surgery and they don’t even know it.”

We can recall the surgeon general’s warning many years back about gum disease being a ‘silent epidemic’   Not much has changed since then.

Prevention is important and has to be conducted by an individual on a daily basis.   Unfortunately, no matter how we may wish otherwise,  going to get our teeth cleaned twice per year will never be sufficient if we are not focused on what we do at home on a daily basis – with the possible very rare exception.

The take home message is about adequate home care.  This often needs to go beyond regular brushing and flossing.  In fact, you might consider that if brushing and flossing were really enough for preventing dental health problems, then why do so many people need expensive treatments?   Feel free to comment below:

If you think that someone else could benefit from this message, please retweet,  like it on Facebook or share in your favorite way:  

Dry Mouth – The Dangers Of Dry Mouth And The Medications That Cause It

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Dental Health - The Dangers of A Dry Mouth From Medication Side Effects
Many Medications Cause Dry Mouth As A Side Effect

I found an interesting article that mentions there are over 500 medications that cause dry mouth.  The article went on to talk about how many people are taking these medications.   The numbers appear to be quite large.

Why Is Dry Mouth A Threat To Your Dental Health?

Your mouth is a wet place – and it needs to stay that way.  Saliva helps to repair tooth enamel via a process called remineralization.   The saliva can help to drive minerals back into the enamel.  Those minerals are lost when we eat acidic foods and beverages,  or have a lot of acid secreting bacteria living and reproducing under plaque.

Without the help of our saliva, a major impediment to dental disease such as cavities and gum disease is lost.   Without the natural process of strengthening our teeth, they are prone to more problems.

Another factor that few mention, but that I think is a very critical piece of information to consider is that a dry mouth is friendly to bacteria.  The reason why is that in an environment that is relatively dry without normal saliva, the bacteria grow much faster!  They like it dryer than normal.

In the case of anaerobic or ‘bad’ bacteria that cause dental disease, you can surmise how this would be a problem.  These ‘bad’ bacteria secrete acidic toxins that are harmful to both our teeth and periodontal tissue (gum and bone underneath) which support the teeth.

Without the inhibitory effect of saliva and the constant unchecked growth of bacteria, the mouth will likely become more acidic.  When this happens, the bacteria reproduce faster as they like an acidic environment.

Here is an excerpt from the article on dry mouth medications, found at modernmedicine.com

“More than 500 medications can contribute to oral dryness. Nearly half of all Americans regularly take at least one prescription medication daily, including many that produce dry mouth, and more than 90% of adults over age 65 do the same. Because older adults frequently use one or more of these medications, they are considered at significantly higher risk of experiencing dry mouth.”  –  link to the article

As you can see, there are many medications that have the side effect of creating a dry mouth.   One possibility is to ask your doctor if you can switch to a similar medication that does not cause this side-effect.   If you are not sure if your medicine is producing this problem, you can also ask a pharmacist.

Finally, if those courses of action are not viable for you, there are products designed to combat dry mouth.

Read more about them.

*This article speaks in general and experts may disagree.   If you have specific questions about your unique dental health situation, you should ask your doctor those questions.

Dental Health – Geriatric Patient Article Stresses Education – No Kidding?

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Patient Education is All-So-Important in Dental Health
Patient's Need Continual Reminders About The Facts of Oral Care!

There was an interesting article at rdhmag.com which is apparently a website for dental hygienists. The article was about the problems that geriatric patients face with periodontal disease.

The author of the article, Karen Donaldson, CDA, RDH, BS, EFDA, mentions how much she tries to educate her patients about what it takes to maintain periodontal health.

Bravo to Karen Donaldson. I wish that all hygienists took such an approach. Instead of just talking about patient education, it would be great if more hygienists and dentist actually engaged in it.

I am over 40 now and I can honestly say that I have not had a single hygienist who actually educated me, without my prompting that is, on how to be more effective with my periodontal health. If you don’t ask, you often get zero information. Anyway, I digress. I hope more hygienist will take Karen Donaldson’s approach.

Here is part of what she wrote in her article:

“Stressing immaculate plaque removal and explaining the connection between oral health and systemic health to all patients helps prepare those that will become high-risk geriatric patients. The better their oral home care is now, the healthier their hard and soft oral tissues will be when their abilities to remove plaque daily are diminished by systemic conditions. Stroke, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and severe arthritis are just a few of the conditions that may force people to rely on others to maintain their oral health.

Patients that achieved average to immaculate oral health during their teen and young adult life will most likely have some areas of periodontal disease to maintain. Once they reach a systemic state that compromises their daily abilities of good oral health, those areas will progress faster than normal, even with regular six-month visits. This could place them in the category of advanced periodontitis, and in a lifestyle that prohibits quality daily oral care.

If we educate all patients of these risks, we will help them understand the importance of oral health related to systemic health in geriatrics. The more we educate our patients about the connections of systemic and oral health, perhaps the public will demand that medical care include oral health care. This is an area dental hygiene needs to embrace and promote for our future as well.”

 link to the full article

This is fantastic!  However, it is far from the reality of what happens in most dental offices. This is true not just for geriatric patients, but patient’s of all ages.  If the education was continuing throughout a lifetime, the patient should be prepared to do well in the elder years.

Periodontal disease is indeed a serious problem.  Prevention is the key.  Daily disruption of plaque is the key.

But I am still surprised at how many dentists and hygienists are unaware of the power of a tool that has been around for over 20 years.  Well documented, studied and published twice in the peer-reviewed Journal of Clinical Periodontology  – you would think that word would have traveled FAST about this tool. 

It is up to blogs like mine to inform people it appears!  This is why I wrote the Kindle and Nook book:  How To Stop Gum Disease in 4 Easy Steps.

I hope that more hygienists will follow the example set by Karen Donaldson and begin educating each patient, not once, but EVERY time they come in for a regular checkup and dental cleaning.

When we are in the chair with hygienist’s hands in our mouth, we have no option but to listen.  This is the perfect time to deliver the education needed.

Ok, I do understand the other side of the story as well!  Patient’s need to ASK intelligent questions and show that they understand what the hygienist is saying and also what they can do about it.

Hygienist’s and patients both have a responsibility, but the responsibility of education should rest on the dental practitioners.   The patient’s responsibility is to  ‘really’ listen and to ‘get it’.     Both sides need to work on their parts of this!

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How Does Dental Enamel Form?

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How Does Dental Enamel Form?This is an interesting question that researchers are still working on.  The answer to this question is very important because it may lead to a better way to deal with cavities.  Currently,  an area is drilled, cleaned and prepared to accept an ‘inert’ material that serves as a replacement to the decayed tooth.

The first step in the decay process is the breach of the enamel.  But if there were a way to prevent that enamel breach in the first place, this could theoretically be a preventive measure or process to take against cavities.

Disclaimer:  I am not a doctor nor am I a dental professional.   And there are likely to be those who disagree with me.

One problem that will be encountered in this process is the established industry itself.  There is a relatively rigid system in place that works on ‘current’ theories and it is a business model that has worked for a long time.   However, if you were to suddenly introduce a proven method to prevent cavities and repair enamel in the vast majority of cases, there might be some resistance from the current ‘establishment’.

This is nothing new and happens in all industries and sciences.  Generally, we call this ‘politics’.  And it can stifle true progress.  But I digress.

As I just mentioned,  how tooth enamel forms, the exact process is still being researched but I came across this very interesting article at ScienceDaily.com  Entitled:  Connecting the Dots: Dental Medicine Team Describes How Enamel Forms. 

Here is a relevant excerpt from the article:

“   “Enamel starts out as an organic gel that has tiny mineral crystals suspended in it,”…

…  Dr. Beniash and his team found that amelogenin molecules self-assemble in stepwise fashion via small oligomeric building blocks into higher-order structures. Just like connecting a series of dots, amelogenin assemblies stabilize tiny particles of calcium phosphate, which is the main mineral phase in enamel and bone, and organize them into parallel arrays. Once arranged, the nanoparticles fuse and crystallize to build the highly mineralized enamel structure. 

“The relationship isn’t clear to us yet, but it seems that amelogenin’s ability to self-assemble is critical to its role in guiding the dots, called prenucleation clusters, into this complex, highly organized structure,” Dr. Beniash said.    “

As mentioned in the article, they do not yet understand exactly how this works.  However, it is clear that the understanding is improving greatly.  Based on this, I would theorize that there should be a better way to remove tooth decay and restore natural enamel some time in the future.

This is one of the areas the dentist cannot help people with today.  They cannot help enamel to regrow.  They do have artificial substances to install if a tooth is chipped, but wouldn’t it be SO much better if they one day had a simple gel they could ‘paint’ onto the tooth that would help the enamel repair in a natural way.

I would very much like to see this happen.  The trauma of cavity drilling and filling is very destructive to our teeth.  In addition, that work may very well need to be redone at some point in the future.

With current technology,  there is not choice but to create a ‘bigger hole’ each time they ‘redo’ the filling.  This can lead to too much destruction of the tooth enamel at some point, causing the need for a root canal and crown.

Of course, the cost of all of this maintenance is also a burden to patients as well.  But again,  there will be resistance.  But if the path is clear, it is possible that this will be available to us one day.

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