Showing posts with label Oral hygiene. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oral hygiene. Show all posts

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Preventing Gum Disease

Preventing Gum Disease Benefits Long Term Health


Gum disease is an important early warning sign of potentially serious health problems later on in life, warn oral healthcare experts at Eludril and Elgydium.

Going to bed without brushing your teeth correctly “could potentially have a devastating effect on your long-term health.”

It is widely accepted that people with gum disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease as those without it.

Also, people with diabetes are more likely to have gum disease, which can make it more difficult for them to control their blood sugar.

Pregnant women who have gum disease may be seven times more likely to have a baby that is born too early and too small.

In the past few weeks, a link has even been suggested between the incidence of gum disease and breast cancer.
So how can we avoid these potential problems?

The main culprit is dental plaque which is a biofilm, usually colourless, that develops on our teeth. It colonises bacteria and attaches itself to the smooth surface of the tooth.

At this stage the film is soft enough to be removed through regular and thorough toothbrushing. However, if it is not removed, within just 48 hours the plaque will begin to harden.

And within 10 days the plaque will become dental calculus (tartar), which is rock-hard and very difficult to remove.
If left untreated, dental calculus can lead to chronically inflamed gums, receding gums, tooth decay and bad breath. It may even result in the tooth becoming loose and falling out.

The advice from a spokesperson for oral healthcare products Eludril and Elgydium is as follows:

  •     practice good oral hygiene on a regular basis – dental plaque develops in under 48 hours
  •     brush at least twice a day for approximately two minutes each time
  •     floss every day, as this reaches areas that a toothbrush might miss
  •     visit your dentist/hygienist on a regular basis to ensure that signs of gum disease are spotted and treated as soon as possible
  •     replace your toothbrush every three to four months or as soon as the bristles look worn.
The spokesman added: “You should avoid starchy, sugary foods and drinks as these make the problem worse.
“Eating plenty of fresh foods and vegetables and avoiding snacking between meals will also help to keep your gums and teeth healthy.

“Should you spot the early signs of gum disease, visit your dentist as soon as possible, as the condition is easily and effectively treated if caught early and need not result in any long-term health issues.”

These are the gum disease symptoms you should be looking out for:

  •     sore gums or swollen gums are often early indicators of gum disease (often known as gingivitis)
  •     bleeding gums – it is not usual for gums to bleed. If they do so, there is something wrong
  •     receding gums, a sign that gum disease has been left untreated for some time.
If you have receding gums, the root of your tooth will be exposed and this will often result in local sensitivity and pain.

As this condition worsens, a receding gum line will de-stabilise your teeth and they will gradually loosen, move and ultimately either fall out or have to be extracted.

Quick, easy and effective treatments are available for those who have detected the early signs of gum disease.
Experts from Eludril and Elgydium recommend that you check with your dentist for advice on which gingivitis treatment is right for you.

“The gold standard treatment for gum disease for many years has been chlorhexidine which has been proven effective against the key organisms that cause gum disease and works by inhibiting the build-up of dental plaque.”
Eludril mouthwash – which contains chlorhexidine – is an antibacterial and analgesic solution used to prevent and treat gum disease.

Choosing the right toothpaste is just as important. The Elgydium toothpaste range includes a regular Anti-Plaque paste containing chlorhexidine to help prevent dental plaque and tartar build-up.

There are also Whitening, Sensitive and Decay Protection toothpastes – but unlike many Whitening toothpastes, the whitening agent in Elgydium Whitening (Sodium Bicarbonate) is micropulverised to reduce harmful abrasion of the teeth.

Elgydium Sensitive contains a unique new-generation Fluoride called Fluorinol clinically proven to reinforce teeth against decay by binding to the enamel five times more effectively than ordinary fluoride.

Elgydium Decay Protection also contains Fluorinol, as well as a special agent called Siliglycol that keeps more fluoride on teeth – even after rinsing – to give day-long protection against decay.

For further information about protecting teeth against gum disease, please contact Nikki Pounds on +44 (0)1202 780558.





Taken from below source:




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Monday, October 5, 2009

Something to chew on

Silhouettes representing healthy, overweight, ...Image via Wikipedia

OBESITY IN KIDS
Excess weight puts children at greater risk of developing teeth, gum problems

Eveline Gan
eveline@mediacorp.com.sg


Obese children are at higher risk of developing gum inflammation.

A CHUBBY kid may look cute, but did you know that excess baby fat may be the culprit behind a child's oral problems?

While it is well known that obesity can cause health problems such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, not many parents are aware that the factors leading to excess weight also have serious repercussions on their child's oral health, said dental experts Today spoke to at the Federation Dentaire Internationale (FDI) World Dental Congress last Wednesday.

Hosted by the Singapore Dental Association for the first time in 19 years, the four-day event at Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre was attended by over 10,000 delegates comprising renowned dentists and researchers.

According to Professor Goran Dahllof, a professor of paediatric dentistry at the department of dentistry at Karolinska Institute in Sweden, obese children and teenagers have a higher risk of developing a host of oral problems, such as tooth decay and gum disease, compared with those of normal weight.

About 3.6 per cent of school-going children in Singapore are obese, according to figures provided by the Ministry of Health.

Said Prof Dahllof: "One of the main links (between obesity and poor oral health) is lifestyle and diet. A diet that promotes obesity is also detrimental to oral health."

Added Dr Rashid Tahir, a dental specialist in paediatric dentistry at The Kids Dentist: "Many parents, especially those in Singapore, tend to think that chubbiness is a sign that their children are well fed, and would often indulge their love of junk food."

Most of the calories that obese young people consume come from fermentable carbohydrates, which increases the risk of tooth decay and cavities, said Prof Dahllof.

Fermentable carbohydrates are found in food such as refined wheat flour, rice and noodles. When consumed, they turn into simple sugars, which are then converted into dental plaque in the mouth. As plaque builds up over time, so does the risk for oral health woes.

"Obese children and teenagers also tend to consume a lot of sugary, carbonated drinks. These acidic drinks can slowly erode the enamel of the teeth, causing it to become thinner and become more prone to chipping off," added Dr Tahir.
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Get brushing

On top of controlling their children's diet, parents should also teach them good oral habits when they are young.

"Tooth decay can happen as soon as it erupts from the gums," said Dr Rashid Tahir, a dental specialist in paediatric dentistry at The Kids Dentist.

Make cleaning the mouth a habit even before the baby's first tooth appears, he said.

He recommended that parents clean their baby's mouth and gums with a cloth, and start brushing when teeth start appearing to instil good oral hygiene habits in their child.
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EXCESS BELLY FAT BAD FOR GUMS

Dietary causes aside, Prof Dahllof said that obese people typically store excess fat cells around the abdomen. These cells secrete inflammatory hormones which enter the blood stream and cause problems such as cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.

"The same type of inflammation can also occur in the gums, especially when you already have bacteria in the mouth," he said.

Gum inflammation diseases include a mild form called gingivitis, in which the gums turn red, swell up and bleed easily. If untreated, the inflammation can spread from the gums to the tissue and bone supporting teeth. This loss of support causes teeth to loosen and eventually fall out.

There are no official local figures on obese children with oral health problems, but Dr Tahir estimated that about a quarter of young patients he sees veer on the chubby side.

Most of them suffer from tooth decay and gingivitis.

According to Dr Tahir, children normally start losing their baby teeth at the age of six. By 12, adult teeth will start to appear.

With oral health problems, obese children may start losing their baby teeth at an earlier age, said Dr Tahir, who has seen toddlers as young as one year old with tooth decay.

"The baby teeth are there to 'reserve' space for adult teeth to come in nicely. With early loss of baby teeth, kids will have problems with the alignment of their permanent teeth later on," he said.

For obese children, simply focusing on dental hygiene will not solve their oral health problems, the dental experts said.

"Brushing the teeth without controlling the consumption of sugar isn't going to work. You have to work to control both obesity and dental problems," said Dr Tahir.

From TODAY, Health – Tuesday, 08-Sep-2009

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Risky business

Dental flossImage via Wikipedia
ORAL HYGIENE
Just brushing is not enough to maintain oral health

EVELINE GAN, eveline@mediacorp.com.sg

SIMON Seah has rather good oral care habits. Or at least, he thinks he does.

On a typical day, the 56-year-old's oral care regimen includes brushing twice daily, and rinsing his mouth with water after meals because he can't stand the feeling of having food particles stuck in between his teeth.

Even though Mr Seah agrees his oral care could be somewhat more thorough, he thinks "it is clean enough". But dental experts would beg to differ.

OF MOUTH RINSES AND FLOSS
Early this year, the Asia-Pacific Panel of Dental Experts recommended a new oral care regimen to combat adult tooth decay and gum disease.

On top of brushing twice daily, adults should also incorporate interdental cleaning once a day and use an antibacterial mouth rinse twice daily. Interdental cleaning refers to cleaning the surfaces between the teeth using floss or other more specialised toothbrushes.

Simply relying on toothbrushing is not enough to maintain a healthy mouth, said Dr Chung Kong Mun, president of the Society of Periodontology Singapore.

Dr Chung explained: "(Just brushing) will not effectively reduce most of the dental plaque from surfaces in the oral cavity especially those around the molars." This is especially so for people with malaligned teeth as well as those who have dental appliances or restorations.

"Studies have demonstrated that antiseptic mouth rinses can actually kill the majority of bacteria present in the mouth efficaciously and safely," said Dr Chung, who added that regular dental checkups are the most important.

While such oral health advice isn't new, not many Singaporeans actually practise it.

A recent local oral care study, conducted by Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturers of Listerine, showed that less than one fifth of its participants practise this. The study involved 150 people from 15 to 65 years old across Singapore.

The findings, released last month, revealed that 93 per cent of the participants had heard of rinsing and 86 per cent had heard of flossing, but only 21 and 35 per cent actually rinsed and flossed daily.

"The study confirms most people do not take oral care seriously and are unable to maintain effective oral care with mechanical means (brushing) alone," said Dr Chung.

THE WINDOW TO YOUR OVERALL HEALTH
According to Dr Chong Kai Chuan, director of dental care group, Q&M Dental Institute, the most direct effect of a dirty mouth is an increased risk of dental decay and gum diseases.

More worryingly, bacteria in the mouth could also be linked to certain diseases.

"The mouth is the mirror to the body's health. Looking into the mouth, a clinician can diagnose systemic infections such as late-stage syphilis and herpes infections," said Dr Chong.

He added that certain viruses and bacteria, such as the herpes simplex viruses, flu and cold viruses, venereal diseases and fungal infections can be found in the mouth, and transmitted via the saliva.

Oral bacteria may even increase your risk of stroke and heart attack, he added. Dr Chong cited a recent study by researchers at the University of Buffalo in New York who found a direct link between gum disease and heart disease.

"It has been postulated that certain types of oral bacteria entered the bloodstream through weakened blood vessels in patients with gum diseases," Dr Chong explained.

The bacteria then set off inflammation that indirectly caused blood to clot.

From TODAY, Health – Tuesday, 05-May-2009



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