USA - From another blog
Dental Health and Oral Hygiene. What you did not know.
By Article Announcer, December 26, 2006, 3:12 pm o'clock
When it comes to dental health and oral hygiene, many of us believe we pretty much know about all there is to know about the topic. However, despite intense public information campaigns, widespread water fluoridation programs, and improved dental health products, there are some very sobering statistics regarding our failure to properly prevent common dental problems like cavities and gum disease. Here are a few statistics compiled by the CDC:
Nearly 1 in 4 adults over the age of 60 have lost all of their natural teeth
Nine in ten adults has tooth decay over the age of 40
1 in 4 children under the age of five already has a cavity
1 in 2 children aged 6-18 have at least one cavity-for those that do have cavities and also live below the poverty line-only half get treatment
Upwards of 15% of adults are believed to have advanced gum disease
Clearly, despite what we are supposed to know about preventing common dental problems, something is going wrong. Nearly 30,000 people each year are diagnosed with throat or mouth cancer and the bacteria that cause gum disease and tooth decay may be a large factor in many of those cases. And it is indeed those harmful bacteria that cause most of our common dental problems and which may start even bigger medical issues if they spread beyond the oral cavity, including:
Heart disease
Infective Endocarditis
Stroke
Weakened immune system
Good oral hygiene such as brushing and flossing daily using ADA certified dental health products is the cornerstone to any strategy aimed at preventing the harmful bacteria present in the mouth from causing problems. However, what many of us don’t know is that our own saliva can help prevent advanced gum disease and cavities because it also helps to naturally control these harmful microbes that are always present in the human mouth.
Saliva will help limit common dental problems because it has specialized enzymes that help produce antibodies which can destroy harmful bacteria like the S. mutans-a common cause of cavities and other oral health problems. Also, your saliva is a wealthy source of oxygen-something that the harmful bacteria cannot thrive in which is why they tend to live behind layers of plaque and tartar where the saliva cannot penetrate.
Every stage of our lives, from pediatric dental health all the way into retirement-we must constantly be on guard against these harmful bacteria. Good oral hygiene is a great start but you must also be sure to avoid dehydration which can lead to a loss of salivation. When the mouth is dry, you are at greater risk for developing advanced periodontal disease so be sure to avoid any behaviors that can lead to dehydration, including:
Smoking
Drinking alcohol or any caffeinated products
Too much physical exercise
Excessive use of laxatives
Using dietary supplements
By Article Announcer, December 26, 2006, 3:12 pm o'clock
When it comes to dental health and oral hygiene, many of us believe we pretty much know about all there is to know about the topic. However, despite intense public information campaigns, widespread water fluoridation programs, and improved dental health products, there are some very sobering statistics regarding our failure to properly prevent common dental problems like cavities and gum disease. Here are a few statistics compiled by the CDC:
Nearly 1 in 4 adults over the age of 60 have lost all of their natural teeth
Nine in ten adults has tooth decay over the age of 40
1 in 4 children under the age of five already has a cavity
1 in 2 children aged 6-18 have at least one cavity-for those that do have cavities and also live below the poverty line-only half get treatment
Upwards of 15% of adults are believed to have advanced gum disease
Clearly, despite what we are supposed to know about preventing common dental problems, something is going wrong. Nearly 30,000 people each year are diagnosed with throat or mouth cancer and the bacteria that cause gum disease and tooth decay may be a large factor in many of those cases. And it is indeed those harmful bacteria that cause most of our common dental problems and which may start even bigger medical issues if they spread beyond the oral cavity, including:
Heart disease
Infective Endocarditis
Stroke
Weakened immune system
Good oral hygiene such as brushing and flossing daily using ADA certified dental health products is the cornerstone to any strategy aimed at preventing the harmful bacteria present in the mouth from causing problems. However, what many of us don’t know is that our own saliva can help prevent advanced gum disease and cavities because it also helps to naturally control these harmful microbes that are always present in the human mouth.
Saliva will help limit common dental problems because it has specialized enzymes that help produce antibodies which can destroy harmful bacteria like the S. mutans-a common cause of cavities and other oral health problems. Also, your saliva is a wealthy source of oxygen-something that the harmful bacteria cannot thrive in which is why they tend to live behind layers of plaque and tartar where the saliva cannot penetrate.
Every stage of our lives, from pediatric dental health all the way into retirement-we must constantly be on guard against these harmful bacteria. Good oral hygiene is a great start but you must also be sure to avoid dehydration which can lead to a loss of salivation. When the mouth is dry, you are at greater risk for developing advanced periodontal disease so be sure to avoid any behaviors that can lead to dehydration, including:
Smoking
Drinking alcohol or any caffeinated products
Too much physical exercise
Excessive use of laxatives
Using dietary supplements
posted by Bill at
9:56 AM
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