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.

Review Finds Better Birth Outcomes after Gum Treatment

Review Finds Better Birth Outcomes after Gum Treatment
June 14, 2011
By Nancy Volkers
InteliHealth News Service
INTELIHEALTH -- Women with periodontal disease who get treatment during their pregnancy have lower risks of giving birth too soon or having a very small baby.
That was the conclusion of a review of 10 published studies in this area. Australian researchers did the review.
A total of 5,645 pregnant women were involved. All of them had periodontal disease. The studies compared those who received periodontal treatment during pregnancy with those who did not. The studies looked at one or more of these pregnancy problems:
• Premature (early) birth (before 37 weeks of pregnancy)
• Low birth weight (under 2.5 kilograms, or about 5.5 pounds)
• Stillbirth
All 10 trials looked at premature birth. The researchers combined all of the results. They found that periodontal treatment reduced the odds of having a premature baby by 65%.
Seven trials looked at low birth weight babies. Periodontal treatment reduced the odds of having a low birth weight baby by almost half.
Women who were otherwise at low risk of having an early birth or a very small baby appeared to benefit more from periodontal treatment. Among these women, treatment reduced the risk of both pregnancy problems by 65%.
Eight studies looked at stillbirth. Periodontal treatment did not affect the odds having a stillbirth for this group of studies. But researchers also took a look just at the studies with at least 500 women enrolled. In these larger studies, they did find an effect. Periodontal treatment reduced the odds of stillbirth by almost half.
Hormonal changes can affect the mouth. For this reason, women are at higher risk for gingivitis and periodontal disease during pregnancy.
Why would periodontal treatment reduce the risks of pregnancy problems? Researchers have several theories.
Treatment reduces the number of bacteria in the mouth. This lowers the chances of bacteria getting into the blood. Once bacteria are in the blood, they can infect other areas of the body, including the genital area and placenta.
Another possibility is that having fewer bacteria in the mouth will lessen the body's immune response to these bacteria. The immune response can produce molecules that are linked with labor and premature birth. Some of these molecules also can restrict blood flow to the placenta. This can hamper growth and lead to a low birth weight baby.
The study appears in the June issue of the International Journal of Evidence-Based Health Care.

Why Whiten your teeth?

Why whiten your teeth? A whiter smile tends to minimize the appearance of facial wrinkles, giving you more youthful and energetic appearance. Also, a whiter smile gives people to whom you are speaking a place to focus on and gives you a friendlier appearance. Simply, it can improve your appearance. Whiter teeth are associated with beauty and a healthier lifestyle. When you have a brighter smile, you tend to smile more often and are less self-conscious.
However, although effective in more than 78% of people, there can be short term disadvantages such as sore gums or teeth. This disappears when use is discontinued.
In cases of serious teeth discoloration, whitening may not be the best choice. Veneers or crowns may be the superior choice.

Are You a Candidate for Cosmetic Dentistry?

If you have been thinking about improving your smile, you may be a good candidate for cosmetic dentistry. Take a few moments to ask yourself the following questions:

Are you embarrassed about smiling in front of people?
Do you ever cover your mouth to hide your teeth?
Do you wish your teeth were whiter?
Would you like to change the shape of your teeth or gums?
Do you have gaps or spaces between your teeth?
Are you considering braces for that perfect smile?
If you answered yes to any of the above, you may be a candidate for cosmetic dentistry. In fact, anyone who is unhappy with the appearance of his or her smile is a candidate for cosmetic dentistry. A smile makeover can change your life - make you look and feel younger, more attractive and more confident. Request an appointment or call our office to schedule a personal consultation.

Sincerely,

Levy Dental Group
(203) 865-2245
www.levydental.com

Gum: A Stick A Day May Keep The Dentist Away

Gum: A Stick A Day May Keep The Dentist Away

by Allison Aubrey NPR
July 20, 2009


You've seen the claims on sugarless gum wrappers. Packages of Orbit say the chewing gum helps strengthen the teeth. And a package of Trident gum containing xylitol says it helps prevent cavities. So are these claims solid?

"You know, it depends on how much of the active agent is in that product," says Francisco Ramos-Gomez, a pediatric dentist at U.C.L.A. "And how much you chew per day."

Oral health experts say the popularity of sugar-free gums has been one step in the improvement of children's oral health. Since consuming lots of sucrose — or table sugar — can lead to cavities, there's a benefit simply in taking it out of gum.

One Step Further

Gum makers have gone one step further by adding ingredients such as the natural sweetener xylitol. That means there's potentially even more of a benefit.

"Xylitol is an anti-microbial — so it's acting against the bacteria themselves," says Peter Milgrom, a dentist at the University of Washington. "So it helps prevent tooth decay."

It's important to note that studies suggest that sugarless gums made of another sugar substitute, called sorbitol, do not seem to have the same preventive effect.

Milgrom and his colleagues have studied how much xylitol is needed to actually knock out bacteria and prevent cavities. And he has two pieces of advice. First: Read the ingredient list on the gum package. If xylitol is the first ingredient, then there's probably enough of it to be effective. And second: Chew a lot of it.

"You have to chew at least two pieces, three times a day to have an effect," says Milgrom.

This may sound like an inordinate amount of chewing, but in Finland kids have really gotten used to it. The Finns have been chewing xylitol gum for years as part of a public health initiative to reduce cavities. And Finnish researchers have documented a preventive effect in numerous studies going back to the early 1970s at the University of Turku. Throughout Scandinavia, xylitol products are widely available, from lozenges and toothpastes to chocolate and candy gummy bears, says Ramos-Gomez.

Too Young To Chew Gum?

For kids who are too young to chew gum or for families that don't have access to good preventive care, there may be another option: daily doses of a xylitol syrup. Milgrom has just published the results of a recent experiment with children in the Marshall Islands who were given a strawberry-flavored syrup for about 10 months.

"The mothers just broke off the end of the squishy plastic tube and squirted it in their child's teeth," explains Milgrom. His team documented a 50 to 70 percent reduction in the development of cavities. The children who were given the highest doses of the syrup saw the greatest benefit.

Pediatric dentists say it's important to remember that xylitol is not a magic bullet in fighting tooth decay. Parents need to stay on top of all the other known prevention methods.

"Control of the diet, regular use of fluoride toothpaste and good ongoing supervision by a dentist are all important," says Burton Edelstein of the College of Dental Medicine at Columbia University. And, of course, so are daily nudges to remind your kids to brush.

There's also indirect evidence to support the claim that gums that have sorbitol, like Orbit, can help fight cavities by strengthening teeth, says Edelstein. It's a claim accepted by the American Dental Association.

"Sorbitol can increase saliva flow, which secondarily strengthens teeth," explains Edelstein. And at the same time, sorbitol is not sugar, so it doesn't cause the bacteria to produce that acid than can lead to cavities. But Edelstein says he's not aware of any studies that directly show that sorbitol-based chewing gums can directly strengthen the teeth.

Smiles For Life

Our yearly "smiles for life" campaign is underway. In conjunction with Discus Dental and Crown Council we provide teeth whitening at a reduced fee and 50% of monies raised benefits the Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut and the remainder goes to Garth Brooks Children’s Charities.
Let's face it: one of the first things you notice about people is their smile. When you meet someone with a bright, natural smile, it catches your attention. However, over time, the natural aging process and your lifestyle (smoking or drinking coffee, tea, or wine) can stain your teeth. To get your smile back to looking its best, you should choose a whitening method that:
• Achieves the longest-lasting results
• Gives you the most naturally brilliant and uniform look
• Is clinically proven to be safe and effective
• Is administered by dental professionals
A teeth whitening can make you look and feel younger, more attractive and more confident. Request an appointment or call our office to schedule a personal consultation during your next visit.
WHAT IS SMILES FOR LIFE? March through June, hundreds of dental practices professionally whiten teeth to raise money for underprivileged and disabled children in their communities and around the world. They’re Crown Council members—an alliance of leading-edge dental teams passionately committed to promoting oral health, fighting oral cancer, and serving through charitable work.
Call our office today to set up your appointment to whiten your teeth and help a child! (203) 865-2245

I Love Levy Dental

The Levy Dental Group is a state of the art dentist in New Haven, CT. We pride ourselves on keeping up with the latest technologies and offering our patients a great dental experience. We provide caring hands that create smiles in a fun environment, so that patients feel better about themselves for having met us.