To Reduce Gum Disease Risk, Get Your Vitamins
February 7, 2012
By Nancy Volkers
InteliHealth News Service
INTELIHEALTH - One more reason to get your vitamins: They may help to prevent periodontal disease.
Japanese researchers found that older people with low blood levels of vitamin C and vitamin E were more likely to have periodontal disease.
The study included 224 older adults. It lasted from 1999 to 2007. Each year, people had a periodontal exam. They also had blood tests. The researchers tested for levels of vitamins C and E.
The researchers divided the people into three groups according to blood levels of vitamin C. Those with blood levels in the lowest third had a 30% increased risk of periodontal disease, compared with those with levels in the highest third. Those in the middle third had a 12% increased risk.
The researchers also divided the people into three groups based on blood levels of vitamin E. In this case, those with the lowest levels had a 15% increased risk of periodontal disease, compared with those in the highest third. Those in the middle third did not have an increased risk.
Vitamins C and E are known as antioxidants. They can protect cells against damage. Low levels of antioxidants have been linked with risk for many diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and arthritis.
Vitamin C also has a historic link with gum health. Severe deficiency of vitamin C causes scurvy. This was a deadly disease among sailors for centuries. One symptom of scurvy was spongy gums.
The Japanese study appears in the February issue of the Journal of Dental Research.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Oral cancer virus affects 7 percent of Americans
CHICAGO - About 16 million Americans have oral HPV, a sexually transmitted virus more commonly linked with cervical cancer that also can cause mouth cancer, according to the first nationwide estimate.
HPV - human papilloma virus - is increasingly recognized as a major cause of oral cancers affecting the back of the tongue and tonsil area. Smoking and heavy drinking are also key causes.
Until now, it was not known how many people have oral HPV infections.
Overall, 7 percent of Americans aged 14 to 69 are infected, the study found.
But the results are not cause for alarm. While mouth cancers are on the rise - probably from oral sex - most people with oral HPV will never develop cancer. And most don't have the kind most strongly linked to cancer. Also, tests for oral HPV are costly and mainly used in research.
Still, experts say the study provides important information for future research that could increase knowledge about who is most at risk for oral cancer and ways to prevent the disease.
The nationally representative study is based on 30-second gargle tests given to about 5,500 people in a 2009-10 government health survey. Their mouthwash samples were tested for HPV.
The results were published online Thursday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
There are many types of HPV, but one in particular, known as HPV-16, is most strongly linked with oral cancer and also is a common cause of cervical cancer. That form was found in about 1 percent of people studied, translating to about 2 million Americans.
Dr. Maura Gillison, the lead author and a researcher at Ohio State University, said the study "provides us some reassurance" that most people with oral HPV will not get oral cancer. Millions may have oral HPV, but fewer than 15,000 Americans get HPV-linked oral cancer each year.
She said the study should prompt research into whether the existing vaccines for cervical cancer protect against oral HPV, too.
Gillison has consulted with Merck & Co., and GlaxoSmithKline, makers of HPV vaccines. Ohio State, Merck and the National Cancer Institute helped pay for the study.
Dr. Ezra Cohen, a head and neck cancer specialist at the University of Chicago, said the study provides important information confirming similarities in risk factors for HPV oral infections and oral cancer.
For example, oral HPV was more common in men than women - 10 percent versus almost 4 percent; in smokers; and in people who had many sexual partners. People aged 55 to 59 were most at risk.
Sexual activity was a strong risk factor, including oral sex.
Oral HPV infection rates were much lower than previous estimates for HPV affecting the cervix and other genital areas, suggesting that the mouth might somehow be more resistant to infection, according to a journal editorial.
Dr. Hans Schlecht, the editorial author and an infectious disease specialist at Drexel University in Philadelphia, said the study provides fodder for researching how some infections lead to cancer and identifying ways to detect and treat HPV-related oral lesions before they turn into cancer.
Unlike non-HPV cancers easily seen in the front of the mouth, HPV-linked tumors in the rear tongue and tonsil area are often hard to detect.
Schlecht emphasized the importance of knowing symptoms of these cancers, which can include a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, ear pain and swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
HPV - human papilloma virus - is increasingly recognized as a major cause of oral cancers affecting the back of the tongue and tonsil area. Smoking and heavy drinking are also key causes.
Until now, it was not known how many people have oral HPV infections.
Overall, 7 percent of Americans aged 14 to 69 are infected, the study found.
But the results are not cause for alarm. While mouth cancers are on the rise - probably from oral sex - most people with oral HPV will never develop cancer. And most don't have the kind most strongly linked to cancer. Also, tests for oral HPV are costly and mainly used in research.
Still, experts say the study provides important information for future research that could increase knowledge about who is most at risk for oral cancer and ways to prevent the disease.
The nationally representative study is based on 30-second gargle tests given to about 5,500 people in a 2009-10 government health survey. Their mouthwash samples were tested for HPV.
The results were published online Thursday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
There are many types of HPV, but one in particular, known as HPV-16, is most strongly linked with oral cancer and also is a common cause of cervical cancer. That form was found in about 1 percent of people studied, translating to about 2 million Americans.
Dr. Maura Gillison, the lead author and a researcher at Ohio State University, said the study "provides us some reassurance" that most people with oral HPV will not get oral cancer. Millions may have oral HPV, but fewer than 15,000 Americans get HPV-linked oral cancer each year.
She said the study should prompt research into whether the existing vaccines for cervical cancer protect against oral HPV, too.
Gillison has consulted with Merck & Co., and GlaxoSmithKline, makers of HPV vaccines. Ohio State, Merck and the National Cancer Institute helped pay for the study.
Dr. Ezra Cohen, a head and neck cancer specialist at the University of Chicago, said the study provides important information confirming similarities in risk factors for HPV oral infections and oral cancer.
For example, oral HPV was more common in men than women - 10 percent versus almost 4 percent; in smokers; and in people who had many sexual partners. People aged 55 to 59 were most at risk.
Sexual activity was a strong risk factor, including oral sex.
Oral HPV infection rates were much lower than previous estimates for HPV affecting the cervix and other genital areas, suggesting that the mouth might somehow be more resistant to infection, according to a journal editorial.
Dr. Hans Schlecht, the editorial author and an infectious disease specialist at Drexel University in Philadelphia, said the study provides fodder for researching how some infections lead to cancer and identifying ways to detect and treat HPV-related oral lesions before they turn into cancer.
Unlike non-HPV cancers easily seen in the front of the mouth, HPV-linked tumors in the rear tongue and tonsil area are often hard to detect.
Schlecht emphasized the importance of knowing symptoms of these cancers, which can include a sore throat, difficulty swallowing, ear pain and swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Use your coverage before its too late
Dental insurance can be very confusing. Unlike medical insurance it is more like a loan. The insurance company that you contract with allots you a certain amount of coverage to use during the year. They determine how much of that money can be put toward different procedures. For example, even if you have $3000 of coverage which would cover the cost of a crown, your insurance may only cover 50% of crowns. So, why not take advantage of the benefits your insurance gives you. Complete your treatment before the end of the year. Reserve your time now before it’s too late.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Halloween Horror: The Dangers of Sour Candy
Halloween Horror: The Danges of Sour Candy
William Domb DMD
Tart or sour Halloween candies carry an increased risk for promoting tooth erosion and tooth decay. Parents should take extra precautions to monitor Halloween candies for their children as well as to avoid giving them to children who come as Trick-or-Treaters.
This Halloween there is more to be scared of than ghoulish
costumes. What can be terrifying to your child’s teeth is sour
acid candy! These candies come in many varieties and forms:
hard and soft, chewy candies, powdered candies and gums,
sour gels and sprays, crystals, cotton candy and chewing
gums. They contain strong food acids that have been known
to erode the surface of the teeth. Many parents consider these
candies safer because they may contain less sugar, but what
you don’t know is the acid content approaches the pH level of
battery acid.
The growing popularity of these candies has raised concern among dental professionals due to the potential
erosion of the tooth surface. Dental erosion can cause wear to the tooth surface in the form of craters on cusp
tips to thinning of the flat surfaces. When the pH of the mouth drops below 5.5, the tooth surface more prone to
tooth erosion and tooth decay. Other problems such as tooth sensitivity and staining can also develop.
Irritation of the soft tissues of the mouth is common with sour candies and some candies contain warning labels
to this effect.
The following tips are recommended to make Halloween safe for children’s teeth:
Do not purchase sour candies for Trick-or-Treaters
Search your child’s candy sack and remove sour acid candies. Replace these candies with a small piece of
sugarless gum or candy, sticker or small prize.
Xylitol gum is the best; it actually REDUCES and HEALS cavities
If you absolutely need to ear sour candies, do so at meal time vs. in-between meals.
After eating sour candies, rinse your mouth with water immediately. This will help to neutralize the oral
cavity.
Do not brush your teeth immediately after eating these sour candies, wait at least 30 minutes.
See your dental professional if you think you have damage from dental erosion. There are treatments
available that will help.
William Domb DMD
Tart or sour Halloween candies carry an increased risk for promoting tooth erosion and tooth decay. Parents should take extra precautions to monitor Halloween candies for their children as well as to avoid giving them to children who come as Trick-or-Treaters.
This Halloween there is more to be scared of than ghoulish
costumes. What can be terrifying to your child’s teeth is sour
acid candy! These candies come in many varieties and forms:
hard and soft, chewy candies, powdered candies and gums,
sour gels and sprays, crystals, cotton candy and chewing
gums. They contain strong food acids that have been known
to erode the surface of the teeth. Many parents consider these
candies safer because they may contain less sugar, but what
you don’t know is the acid content approaches the pH level of
battery acid.
The growing popularity of these candies has raised concern among dental professionals due to the potential
erosion of the tooth surface. Dental erosion can cause wear to the tooth surface in the form of craters on cusp
tips to thinning of the flat surfaces. When the pH of the mouth drops below 5.5, the tooth surface more prone to
tooth erosion and tooth decay. Other problems such as tooth sensitivity and staining can also develop.
Irritation of the soft tissues of the mouth is common with sour candies and some candies contain warning labels
to this effect.
The following tips are recommended to make Halloween safe for children’s teeth:
Do not purchase sour candies for Trick-or-Treaters
Search your child’s candy sack and remove sour acid candies. Replace these candies with a small piece of
sugarless gum or candy, sticker or small prize.
Xylitol gum is the best; it actually REDUCES and HEALS cavities
If you absolutely need to ear sour candies, do so at meal time vs. in-between meals.
After eating sour candies, rinse your mouth with water immediately. This will help to neutralize the oral
cavity.
Do not brush your teeth immediately after eating these sour candies, wait at least 30 minutes.
See your dental professional if you think you have damage from dental erosion. There are treatments
available that will help.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Majority of Dogs, Cats over
September 7, 2011
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Canadian Press) -- Dogs have 42 teeth, humans have 32, cats have 30 and Mario has none.
The cat was eating poorly, hiding in the closet, and had red, sore gums when he was diagnosed with a mouth infection called stomatitis. Three surgeries and $10,000 later, all his teeth had been pulled.
"Once he started feeling better, he again became a happy, normal, healthy cat, very loving, affectionate and playful," said Mary Roever of Green Bay, Wis., who with her husband adopted Mario from a shelter. "His cheek appears ever so slightly sunken in, but you really have to look to see it."
The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that by age two, 80 per cent of dogs and 70 per cent of cats have some form of dental disease. Infections have been linked to diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and other life- threatening problems.
Dental disease was the most common problem found among the 2.2 million dogs and 450,000 cats treated at Banfield Pet Hospitals in 2010, according to the group's "State of Pet Health 2011 Report." With 770 hospitals in 43 states, Banfield is the world's largest general vet practice.
It can be hard to tell if your dog or cat has a toothache, but there are warning signs, said Dr. Kevin S. Stepaniuk, president-elect of the American Veterinary Dental Society, and assistant clinical professor and veterinary dentist at the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine.
Bad breath, loose or discoloured teeth, cowering if touched on the jaw or snout, drooling, dropping food, bleeding from the gums, loss of appetite and loss of weight are some signs, Stepaniuk said.
Pets might also paw at their mouth and make exaggerated jaw movements when eating or drinking, he said.
"It hurts and it's very smelly," said veterinarian Edgardo Ortiz, Banfield's medical director for New York and New Jersey. "When the pets are healthy, owners will kiss them. With severe tooth trouble, people don't want to kiss their pets so they don't get as much love. That's reality."
Mario's symptoms even included a squeaky meow, though it returned to normal after his surgery. Still, there are a few things the toothless cat can't do, Roever said: "He has no teeth to pick things up with. We pile his canned food up into a mountain so it's easier for him to eat." She also buys extra-small kibble.
He will ignore furry toys and go for smooth, cloth-covered ones instead, she said. "I suspect the furry cloth feels funny on the gums."
Tooth decay can happen at any age, but is more likely in older pets and in smaller toy breeds. "They eat more canned food and more will get stuck in their teeth," Ortiz said. Larger dogs tend to eat more dry food, which scrapes the teeth, and helps remove tartar, he said.
"Ask yourself the question: 'If you did not brush your teeth daily, what would happen?' In a few days you would have significant plaque and, within a few more, increased tartar," Stepaniuk said.
Owners are advised to take their pets to the vet twice a year for routine checkups and get their teeth cleaned once a year.
In a perfect world, Ortiz said pet owners would brush their dog's or cat's teeth twice a day, but twice a week will produce amazing results.
Add dental chews and a water additive that helps prevent tartar and pets should stay very kissable, Ortiz said.
Brushing an older pet's teeth for the first time can prove challenging, the vets acknowledged, but it is easy to teach a puppy or kitten to learn to like it, Ortiz said.
"Start with your bare finger and rub it along their gums and teeth. Get them used to having something in their mouth. Then get a finger-sized toothbrush with small fibres that do not scrape the teeth," he said. Toothpaste isn't necessary to remove tartar, but once the pet is used to the brush, it can be added.
Cats usually won't sit still for too long, so it helps if the toothpaste is tuna or chicken-flavoured, Ortiz said.
Stepaniuk warned not to give pets human toothpaste. "If human toothpaste is swallowed, which pets will do, it is toxic (due to the high levels of fluoride) as well as a gastrointestinal irritant," he said.
Any invasive dental work on pets -- extractions, root canals, and any thorough exam involving instruments and X-rays -- requires anesthesia, Stepaniuk said. There are no such things as dog dentures, he said, and implants and bridges are almost non-existent, but some dogs -- usually show dogs -- do get braces.
Pets do cope with the loss of teeth, Ortiz said, and their health and behaviour typically improve once the pain is gone.
Veterinarians will try to save strategic teeth when possible. These include the canine teeth and carnassial teeth (the big chewing teeth), Stepaniuk said.
Other types of pets are also vulnerable to dental problems. Ferrets can get tooth decay just like dogs and cats. Rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas have continually growing cheek teeth and incisors; given the wrong diet, their teeth will overgrow and cause abscessed teeth, Stepaniuk said. Reptiles have teeth and without proper husbandry, they too can get severe infection and stomatitis.
The Canadian Press, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
2011 Team Building
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Keeping Healthy -- Even to How Dentures Fit -- Can Lower Dementia Risk: Study
Keeping Healthy -- Even to How Dentures Fit -- Can Lower Dementia Risk: Study
July 14, 2011
TORONTO (Canadian Press) -- Health factors considered outside the box when it comes to the risk of getting Alzheimer's or another dementia -- including whether a person's dentures fit properly or they suffer from poor eyesight or hearing -- may in fact contribute to development of the brain disorders, researchers say.
"Our study suggests that rather than just paying attention to already known risk factors for dementia, such as diabetes or heart disease, keeping up with your general health may help reduce the risk for dementia," said principal investigator Dr. Kenneth Rockwood of Dalhousie University.
Rockwood, director of geriatric medicine research, said that an individual health issue like ill-fitting dentures does not raise the risk of dementia in those who are predisposed to the brain-destroying condition.
"We know, for example, that dentures on their own are not associated with an adverse outcome," Rockwood said Wednesday from Halifax. "It's just when they're in combination with a whole bunch of other things that are wrong. That state of having many things wrong is associated with adverse outcomes."
The research, published in this week's edition of the journal Neurology, found that each health problem increased a person's odds of developing dementia by 3.2 per cent, compared with people without such health issues.
The research included 7,239 people, age 65-plus and free of dementia, who took part in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging. Participants were assessed for Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia at five and then 10 years and asked about 19 health problems not previously reported to predict dementia.
Those problems included arthritis, trouble hearing or seeing, denture fit, chest or skin problems, stomach or bladder troubles, sinus issues, broken bones and feet or ankle conditions, among others.
After 10 years, almost 3,000 had died, about 880 were cognitively healthy, while more than 600 had Alzheimer's disease or another dementia. Close to 700 had cognitive problems but no dementia, and the cognitive status of the roughly 1,000 other subjects was not clear.
The results showed that older people without health problems at initial assessment had an 18 per cent chance of developing dementia in 10 years, while the risk rose to 30 per cent for those with eight health problems, and 40 per cent among those with 12.
"The point is that anything that's bad for you is ultimately bad for your brain," explained Rockwood. "And in someone so predisposed, the cumulative effect of that is likely to increase the dementia risk."
That's because the brain and body are intimately interconnected -- so any physical health problem can affect the cognitive organ.
"Our work joins a body of work that shows the brain is not an innocent bystander," he said. "The brain fights back."
That defensive healing mechanism -- what Rockwood calls an "aberrant repair process" -- is believed to set in motion an immune inflammatory response that might possibly result in the tangled brain plaques and other neuron-destroying effects seen in Alzheimer's.
The ability of the brain to rewire its circuitry to overcome deficits -- for instance, developing a new speech pathway after a stroke -- is also part of this repair process, he said.
"So people with poor neurocompensation and more harmful than good neuroinflammatory response will be at the greatest risk (of developing dementia)."
In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Jean Francois Dartigues of the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Paris said more research needs to be done to confirm whether these non-traditional health problems may indeed be linked to an increased risk of dementia.
"But if confirmed, the consequences of these findings could be significant and could lead to the development of preventive or curative strategies for Alzheimer's disease," Dartigues wrote.
July 14, 2011
TORONTO (Canadian Press) -- Health factors considered outside the box when it comes to the risk of getting Alzheimer's or another dementia -- including whether a person's dentures fit properly or they suffer from poor eyesight or hearing -- may in fact contribute to development of the brain disorders, researchers say.
"Our study suggests that rather than just paying attention to already known risk factors for dementia, such as diabetes or heart disease, keeping up with your general health may help reduce the risk for dementia," said principal investigator Dr. Kenneth Rockwood of Dalhousie University.
Rockwood, director of geriatric medicine research, said that an individual health issue like ill-fitting dentures does not raise the risk of dementia in those who are predisposed to the brain-destroying condition.
"We know, for example, that dentures on their own are not associated with an adverse outcome," Rockwood said Wednesday from Halifax. "It's just when they're in combination with a whole bunch of other things that are wrong. That state of having many things wrong is associated with adverse outcomes."
The research, published in this week's edition of the journal Neurology, found that each health problem increased a person's odds of developing dementia by 3.2 per cent, compared with people without such health issues.
The research included 7,239 people, age 65-plus and free of dementia, who took part in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging. Participants were assessed for Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia at five and then 10 years and asked about 19 health problems not previously reported to predict dementia.
Those problems included arthritis, trouble hearing or seeing, denture fit, chest or skin problems, stomach or bladder troubles, sinus issues, broken bones and feet or ankle conditions, among others.
After 10 years, almost 3,000 had died, about 880 were cognitively healthy, while more than 600 had Alzheimer's disease or another dementia. Close to 700 had cognitive problems but no dementia, and the cognitive status of the roughly 1,000 other subjects was not clear.
The results showed that older people without health problems at initial assessment had an 18 per cent chance of developing dementia in 10 years, while the risk rose to 30 per cent for those with eight health problems, and 40 per cent among those with 12.
"The point is that anything that's bad for you is ultimately bad for your brain," explained Rockwood. "And in someone so predisposed, the cumulative effect of that is likely to increase the dementia risk."
That's because the brain and body are intimately interconnected -- so any physical health problem can affect the cognitive organ.
"Our work joins a body of work that shows the brain is not an innocent bystander," he said. "The brain fights back."
That defensive healing mechanism -- what Rockwood calls an "aberrant repair process" -- is believed to set in motion an immune inflammatory response that might possibly result in the tangled brain plaques and other neuron-destroying effects seen in Alzheimer's.
The ability of the brain to rewire its circuitry to overcome deficits -- for instance, developing a new speech pathway after a stroke -- is also part of this repair process, he said.
"So people with poor neurocompensation and more harmful than good neuroinflammatory response will be at the greatest risk (of developing dementia)."
In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Jean Francois Dartigues of the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Paris said more research needs to be done to confirm whether these non-traditional health problems may indeed be linked to an increased risk of dementia.
"But if confirmed, the consequences of these findings could be significant and could lead to the development of preventive or curative strategies for Alzheimer's disease," Dartigues wrote.
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