Def Leppard Pikcard

hey, i know that this is supposed to be a healthcare blog, but i just got the new def leppard cd and it rocks, but what is even cooler is the pikcard that came with it. it seems to be credit card shaped with 4 medium picks that pop out. even cooler, they pop back in. i probably won't use mine since the cards look like they might be a collector item some day, but check it our, you can buy pikcards at a lot of the music retailers, i did not know that. i can never find my picks when i need them so i am off to the store to get some. i also saw them on line so anyone can get them anytime.

YOGURT AND GUM DISEASE

i read an interesting email blast from one of the many dental info groups that i subscribe to. there was a study published, from the Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan that found that products that contained lactic acid were associated with healthier gums. it is important to note that milk and cheese were not. the study showed that those eating at least 55 grams or more of yogurt, or drinking beverages with lactic acid had fewer markers of gum disease (and this is after allowances for other risk factors were taken). the lead researcher, Dr. Shimazaki, feels that the benefits of lactic acid might be linked to the probiotics (living organisms) found in lactic acid foods.

prevention

i am back and hopefully will be blogging a little bit more often now.
if you are not familiar with what i write, i am a dentist who is focused on prevention. it is very easy to tell people you will help them with brushing and flossing, it is another story to actually help the patient to achieve the skills to stop enabling the bad bacteria to overcome the environment and actually do the damage that they can do. just doing several fillings will not help the patient, it is just a band aid. you must eliminate the active evil bacteria from the biofilm of bacteria that is natural in every one's mouth.
this is just a taste of more to come. the more i write, the more committed i am to getting you healthy

RISK FACTORS FOR ORAL CANCER

just a quick little post to keep you updated on the risk factors of oral cancer, one of the cancers with the highest mortality rate.
1. 40 years or older
2. tobacco use, including cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco
3. chronic alsohol consumption
4. human papilloma virus,
5. a compromised immune system

so, if you ever get a sore in your mouth that does not heal in 14 days, go to you dentist immediately to check it out. If you have any of the above stated risk factors then your life may depend on it. however, there are a lot of oral cancers that will never let you know they are there, only with an exam from either a dentist or hygienist will find them. see your dentist every 6 months.

SMOKING AND GUM DISEASE

as a dentist, i have always had a problem with preaching to patients about the dangers of smoking. this is because i am sure anyone who smokes has already had a handful of caring friends and/or family members to hammer them about the dangers of smoking.
as part of my commitment to educating my patients (and to those who read my blog) i know i need to address a major issue that smoking presents for oral health.
while the thrust of the post will not be about cancer, look at the stats out there. oral cancer can be a very aggressive cancer and smoking absolutely contributes to oral cancer. what i want to discuss is the problem that smoking creates for the patient as far as gum disease.
one of the major signs of gum disease is bleeding gum tissues. unfortunately, bleeding gums is something many people have accepted as normal (i don't think anyone would think that a cut on their arm bleeding for 3-4 weeks is anywhere close to normal). when someone smokes, their gum tissue often undergoes changes which make the tissue fibrotic. normal gum tissue is full of blood vessels and is firm (not hard). fibrotic gum tissue (the result of the constant trauma of the smoke and heat from the cigarettes and cigars) is beyod firm, it is hard and will not bleed very easily. fibrotic gum tissue will hide the first tell tale signs of gum disease, bleeding gums.
the bottom line, smoking is a causative agent for gum disease and may allow for accelerated breakdown due to gum disease. think about this before you light up the next time.

xylitol vrs sorbitol

for as long as i can remeber anyone writing about it, i have been touting the benefits of xylitol. there have been studies published around the world, from a variety of entities (such as the university of michigan) telling how regular exposure to xylitol can greatly diminish the process of getting cavities. xyltiol works in many different ways, from actually killing the bacteria to inhibiting the bacteria that cause cavities from attaching to the teeth. no bacteria no cavities.
however, xylitol is fairly expensive compared to sugar or sorbitol so it is not used as much as sorbitol.
i recently read a study that said if you get more than 3 exposures a day to sorbitol you can expect the acid/base balance of your mouth to shift to the acid side. what this really means is that wyile sorbitol has no calories, if used more than 3 times a day it no longer is cavity free, but cavity reducing.
so, the best gum to chew needs to have xylitol listed as it's first ingredient, anywhere else and there is not enought xylitol. also, if xylitol is not the first ingredient, then you can bet it will be sorbitol. the few gums available over the counter that have xylitol as it's first ingredient are carefree koolerz , armand hammer sugarless gum ( i have heard of it but never have seen it in a store) and altoids sugarless gum (not their mints, they are sweetened with sorbitol) you can also do a search on the internet and find a dozen other brands of gums to find. my suggestion, find the gum and use is 3-4 times a day for at least 5 minutes. this will greatly enhance the possibility that you will need less dentistry done over your lifetime, and isn't that what everyone wants?

taking care of your gums can help you save in the long run

for a while you have been reading on my blog or hearing at my office about the strong relationship between gum disease and other health issues such as diabetes, strokes and heart disease. a new study done jointly with aetna insurance company and columbia university college of dental medicine indicates that treatment of gum disease has a positive effect of the cost of medical care reagrding the above mentioned diseases. they also found during this two year study that costs were actually lower if peroidontal therapy (treatment of gum disease) was recieved during the first year of the study.
what does this mean to you. one, it clearly shows that there is a link between gum disease and other health issues. second, if you take care of your gum disease issues you have a better chance for better quality of life as you age. third, if there is a lower cost to your healthcare you save money and in the long runit can help keep medical premiums from going up as much.
who knows, maybe aetna will start paying more for the treament of gum disease, or put it under medical insurance since it is now shown to be cost effective for them. NA, JUST WISHFULL THINKING