Infectious Smiles

Mens Health magazine recently published this interesting article about dental care. It's really good and has a lot of useful information! Here you go:

Your filthy mouth may have you headed for a heart attack--unless you follow this dental plan

There are two options when it comes to oral hygiene: Treat your teeth like gold, or buy gold teeth. The latter is a tough look to pull off. Unless you're a rapper (or, like Flavor Flav, a rapper-turned-reality-TV-star-turned-boy-toy-to-blonde-Amazon), women tend to frown on 24-karat caps.

Aesthetics aside, there's an even better reason to go for option one: Your life depends on it. Unhealthy mouths unleash bacteria into the bloodstream, where the bugs travel to vital organs. As a result, your chance of developing diabetes can go up, your stroke risk can quadruple, and your risk of a heart attack can spike up to 14 times higher. Of course, these are all worst-case scenarios. The best case? The ligaments tethering your teeth to your jaw disintegrate, and you start paying attention to Fixodent commercials.

Don't let it happen to you. Open up and apply these eight mouth guards, and we practically guarantee you'll live long and die without dentures.

Plaque
When you wake up tomorrow, run your tongue over your teeth. Feel that? It's plaque, a mossy mix of germs, dead cells, and saliva. Left alone, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria that cause cavities and gingivitis, a.k.a. inflamed gums. And gingivitis can lead to the ligament-destroying oral disease called periodontitis, says Marjorie Jeffcoat, D.M.D., dean of the school of dental medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. "You can have an infection the size of the palm of your hand and not know it."

Grab a cup for protection. If it weren't for afternoon tea, Brits would have no teeth at all. A recent Chicago College of Dentistry study showed that people who rinsed their mouths with black tea multiple times a day had less plaque buildup than those who swished water. "Polyphenols in tea suppress the bacterial enzyme that triggers plaque accumulation," says Christine D. Wu, Ph.D., the lead study author. "Drinking tea a few times a day could have the same effect." Choose iced or hot tea, but try to down it during your meals.

Worried about staining? Go green. "Green tea contains the same polyphenols as black tea," says Wu, "but it isn't fully fermented, and fermentation contributes to the staining."

Pull strings. Flossing belongs to that special category of onerous chores that includes cleaning the gutters, but it has to be done. What about the research showing that rinsing with Listerine (or one of its clones) is as good as flossing? A new study in the Journal of the American Dental Association found that swishing with Listerine and flossing is most effective of all. The key is matching floss to teeth.

"If you have rough fillings, use waxed floss," says Dr. Jeffcoat. "If you have bigger spaces between the teeth, consider braided floss." And for unequivocally average teeth? Go with unwaxed floss; the friction will pull out more plaque. In terms of technique, Dr. Jeffcoat says to listen as you slide the string. "When it squeaks, you know the plaque is gone."

Enamel
Just like the paint on a Plymouth, your enamel is shield and showcase. Its enemies: erosion and abrasion. Erosion is the breakdown of enamel by acids, while abrasion is wear from brushing. Either way, worn enamel sabotages smiles and lets bacteria tunnel into teeth.

Stick it to yourself. Sugarless gum is powerful medicine for your mouth; numerous studies have shown that chewing the sticky stuff stimulates the delivery of building-block minerals into damaged enamel. Most recently, researchers in Japan showed that people who chew sugarless gum fortified with the tongue-twisting ingredient casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (or CPP-ACP) can patch up twice as much enamel as those masticating gum minus CPP-ACP. Look for sugarless gums, such as Trident White, that list Recaldent as an active ingredient.

Take the softer, easier way. Pair heavy hand pressure with a firm-bristled toothbrush and you're all set--to clean grout. "Some people actually brush grooves in their teeth," says Bruce Reuben, D.D.S., an oral surgeon in Chicago. To protect and polish your enamel, pick up a soft-bristled brush with tapered tips, such as the Colgate 360. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania compared this type with a soft brush with rounded tips and found that the former removed more plaque while remaining gentle on teeth.

Still brushing the heck out of your bicuspids? Switch to your nondominant hand. Once you're used to exerting less force, switch back.

Cavities
Children are cavity magnets, but so are adults. "As we grow older, we might actually be more prone to tooth decay," says Richard Price, D.D.S., a consumer advisor for the American Dental Association. What's worse, age, and the gum recession that accompanies it, puts us at risk of a variation called "root cavities." "When the gum pulls back, a bit of root is exposed," explains Dr. Price. The root's only protection is cementum, a soft coating that's no match for the bacteria that cause cavities.

Commandeer the cheese cart. A quick refresher: Eating sweets causes the pH level of your saliva to plummet, transforming plaque into tooth-dissolving acid. But follow cheesecake with cheese and your pH level will stay steady. A study review published in Nutrition Reviews that looked at the pH-boosting properties of 12 cheeses shows that while provolone is pretty good, Cheddar's better. In fact, aged Cheddar, Gouda, Monterey Jack, and mozzarella raised pH levels highest. And one bite is all you need; the study subjects ate less than a quarter ounce.

Eat for two. Someone move your cheese? Finish your dinner before you dive into dessert. As you eat a meal, the plaque on your teeth absorbs some of the fat, fiber, and protein of the food, filling up space that would otherwise be occupied by sugar. "If the plaque is saturated with the food you just ate, the sugar you eat afterward can't sink in," says Dr. Price. Same rule goes for any other time you're sizing up a sweet snack: Try to eat a little real food first and you'll block out the sugar that follows.

Tartar
We aren't talking fish sauce. Tartar is a special kind of crud that's created when excess calcium in your saliva combines with plaque. The result is a brownish-yellow deposit above the gum line that provides a microscopic toehold for even more bacteria.

Waste it with paste. Fluoride fights cavities, but it can't touch tartar. For that, you need a toothpaste containing pyrophosphate, a chemical that disrupts the calcification process. Start using a tartar-control toothpaste now and your dental hygienist will do less scraping later. And in case you're tempted to stick with your regular toothpaste and just use a tartar-control mouthwash, consider this: "One place that mouthwash does not clean is where the teeth touch each other," says Dr. Price.

Get small. "You see your biggest tartar buildup where the saliva ducts enter the mouth," says Dr. Price. "It's like a river laying down silt." Unfortunately, these hot spots--the backs of your lower front teeth and the outer sides of your top molars--are difficult to reach with a full-size toothbrush. Choose one with a small head. And when you tackle the backs of your lower front teeth, turn the brush perpendicular to the floor, then scrub up and down.

Chuck Norris facts

Per Dr. Van's request, here are some of his favorite Chuck Norris facts...

• When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.


• Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.


• There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.


• Outer space exists because it's afraid to be on the same planet with Chuck Norris.


• Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.

• Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.

• Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.


• Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.


• There is no chin behind Chuck Norris’ beard. There is only another fist.


• When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn’t lifting himself up, he’s pushing the Earth down.


• Chuck Norris is so fast, he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head.


• Chuck Norris’ hand is the only hand that can beat a Royal Flush.


• Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.


• Chuck Norris doesn’t wear a watch, HE decides what time it is.


• Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.


• Chuck Norris does not get frostbite. Chuck Norris bites frost


• Remember the Soviet Union? They decided to quit after watching a DeltaForce marathon on Satellite TV.


• Contrary to popular belief, America is not a democracy, it is a Chucktatorship.

Emergency Dentistry

It happens to all of us at some point in our lives - a toothache - and it can be excruciating pain or a dull pain. Either way, it will affect us until we get it dealt with.

One of Dr. Van's specialties is emergency dentistry.

Many patients come in every month due to tooth or gum pain. Dr. Van makes every effort to get the patient out of pain as quickly as possible.

Here are a few patient testimonials about Dr. Van versus a tooth ache:

"I found Gilbert Road Dental about a year ago. I had an excruciating toothache, and my regular dentist could not see me. They got me in that day and took care of my problem. They are now my regular dentist!! P.S. they have satellite TV on the ceiling above your chair!" Theresa C.

"After watching my son agonize for 2 or 3 days because he had no regular dentist, the last one we called was Gilbert Road Dental Care. I am so glad we went there! I, and my son Matthew, have never seen such patient attention, and he was out of pain in a matter of minutes! We appreciate your office staff and you Dr. Bart, very, very much. This is now our office of choice for dental care. Thanks!" snips

While we hate to see people in pain and encourage people to come to our office to prevent or avoid pain rather than wait for the pain to kick in, we are always glad when we can help someone be relieved from a toothache.

The best way to avoid a toothache is to proactively prevent it through regular cleanings and visits to your dentist's office. Please call us today to set up an appointment: (480) 649-7200! We look forward to seeing you!

Teeth And Gums Also Benefit From The Healing Power Of Aloe Vera

The aloe vera plant has a long history of healing power. Its ability to heal burns and cuts and soothe pain has been documented as far back as the 10th century. Legend has it that Cleopatra used aloe vera to keep her skin soft. The modern use of aloe vera was first recognized the 1930s to heal radiation burns. Since then, it has been a common ingredient in ointments that heal sunburn, minor cuts, skin irritation, and many other ailments. Recently, aloe vera has gained some popularity as an active ingredient in tooth gel. Similar to its use on skin, the aloe vera in tooth gels is used to cleanse and soothe teeth and gums, and is as effective as toothpaste to fight cavities, according to the May/June 2009 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed journal.

Aloe vera tooth gel is intended to perform the same function as toothpaste, which is to eliminate pathogenic oral microflora - disease-causing bacteria -in the mouth. The ability of aloe vera tooth gel to successfully perform that function has been a point of contention for some dental professionals. However, research presented in General Dentistry may alleviate that concern. The study compared the germ-fighting ability of an aloe vera tooth gel to two commercially popular toothpastes and revealed that the aloe vera tooth gel was just as effective, and in some cases more effective, than the commercial brands at controlling cavity-causing organisms.

Aloe latex contains anthraquinones, which are chemical compounds that are used in healing and arresting pain because they are anti-inflammatory in nature. But, because aloe vera tooth gel tends to be less harsh on teeth, as it does not contain the abrasive elements typically found in commercial toothpaste, it is a great alternative for people with sensitive teeth or gums. But buyers must beware. Not all aloe vera tooth gel contains the proper form of aloe vera. Products must contain the stabilized gel that is located in the center of the aloe vera plant in order to be effective. Products must also adhere to certain manufacturing standards. Dilip George, MDS, co-author of the study, explains that aloe "must not be treated with excessive heat or filtered during the manufacturing process, as this destroys or reduces the effects of certain essential compounds, such as enzymes and polysaccharides." Dr. George suggests that consumers consult non-profit associations such as the International Aloe Science Council to see what products have received the organization's seal of quality.

Although there are more than 300 species of the plant, only a few have been used for medicinal purposes. "Thankfully, consumers with sensitive teeth or gums have a number of choices when it comes to their oral health, and aloe vera is one of them," says AGD spokesperson Eric Shapria, MS, DDS, MAGD, MA. "If they are interested in a more alternative approach to oral hygiene, they should speak with their dentist to ensure that it meets the standards of organized dentistry, too."

Source:
Stefanie Schroeder
Academy of General Dentistry

Fun facts about dentistry!

• Each person's set of teeth is unique - much like their fingerprints - even in identical twins.

• Some cheeses are have been found to protect teeth from decay.

• The Mexican version of the Tooth Fairy is known as the Tooth Mouse, which takes the tooth and leaves treasures in its place.

• If you're right handed, you will chew your food on your right side. If you're left handed, you will tend to chew your food on your left side.

• The major causes of tooth loss in people under age 35 are sports, accidents and fights.

• George Washington's dentures were made from walrus, hippopotamus, and cows' teeth, as well as elephant tusks.

• The most valuable tooth was one a nobleman purchased - belonging to the famous scientists Isaac Newton - for $4,560. It was set in a ring.

• In 200 AD, the Romans used a mixture of bones, eggshells, oyster shells and honey to clean their teeth.

• Queen Elizabeth I's teeth were noticeably discolored. A German traveler, Paul Henter, speculated that the discoloration was due to the Queen's excessive consumption of sugar, making the first recorded association between sugar and tooth decay.

• The second most common disease in the United States is tooth decay. The first is the common cold.

Courtesty of www.fulcherorthodontics.com.

Stephanie Pratt's Eating Disorder Confession

By Shawn Watson, About.com Guide to Dentistry

The Hills star Stephanie Pratt made a shocking confession this week. According to MTV, Ms. Pratt is one of the estimated 65% of American women with an eating disorder, specifically bulimia nervosa. By sharing her story, Stephanie apparently hopes to shed light on the issues and struggles surrounding eating disorders.

So, what does Stephanie Pratt's bulimia have to do with dentistry you ask? You may be surprised to learn that dentists are often the first medical provider to spot an eating disorder. Oral conditions such as a dry mouth, cracked lips, gingivitis, and unexplained erosion of the enamel are often key indicators of an eating disorder, such as bulimia nervosa. The strange irony surrounding Ms. Pratt's unfortunate situation is the fact that Stephanie and her not-so-lovable brother Spencer Pratt, are reportedly the children of a very successful Santa Monica dentist, Dr. William Chanucey Pratt. Clearly, Stephanie takes care of her teeth, in-fact I think she has a gorgeous smile. Sadly, most people with bulimia have such extensive damage to their teeth they often avoid the dentist because they are embarrassed by the condition of their teeth.

If you are struggling with an eating disorder or suspect a friend or family member may have an eating disorder, this list of resources may be of assistance to you. I can only wish Stephanie a successful recovery, and hope that her story will bring the needed awareness to this often devastating disease.

Photo: Jason Merritt / Getty Images

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