May 23, 2017
As dentists, we spend lots of time educating our patients about the importance of taking care of their mouth, teeth, and gums. On the surface, we want to help you prevent bad breath, tooth decay, and gum disease—all with the goal of helping you protect your teeth as you grow older. In addition to our work, researchers are discovering new reasons to brush, floss, and visit your dentist regularly. They are learning that having a healthy mouth can ward off more serious medical conditions at any stage in your life. An unhealthy mouth may increase your risk of health problems such as preterm labor, poorly controlled diabetes, and even heart attack and stroke.
Take it from Ashley, RDH, one of FDA’s own dental hygienists: “The mouth is a window to the rest of the body,” Ashley explains. “Oftentimes we see changes arise in the mouth before they are evident elsewhere in the body. Maintaining optimal oral health is crucial to overall health. Since the mouth is connected to the body we recognize that chronic inflammation or presence of disease isn’t just localized to the oral cavity, but has the potential to be linked to underlying conditions.”
Just as Ashley explains, your mouth can play a crucial role in learning more about your overall health. In fact, saliva is a great tool that can help detect a variety of substances such as certain cancer markers, cortisol levels, and can even be used to monitor bone loss in those prone to osteoporosis. Saliva is also a main defense against disease-causing organisms as it contains antibodies that can attack both viral pathogens and bacteria. However, saliva can’t always get the job done completely. Over 500 different species of bacteria thrive in your mouth at any given time and constantly form dental plaque. If you don’t brush and floss regularly, this plaque builds up along your gum line, opening the door for additional bacteria to accumulate in the space between your gums and teeth. This build-up leads to gingivitis, and can potentially lead to periodontitis.
Our gums are vascular and full of blood, so infections such as gingivitis and periodontitis can happen quickly. Once that gum layer is disrupted due to brushing, flossing, or an invasive dental treatment, bacteria can enter in the bloodstream, travel to any area of the body and potentially cause inflammation. Inflammation in the heart causes hardened arteries, or atherosclerosis, making it harder for blood to flow to the heart, increasing one’s chance of heart attack and stroke. Oral bacteria can also enter your bloodstream and stick to the lining of diseased heart valves, causing infective endocarditis.
Another important connection between oral health and overall health is that the bacteria connected to periodontal disease, streptococcus sanguis, plays a role in strokes. This bacteria can quickly spread to the heart through the gums, potentially causing a stroke. There is research to suggest that people with gum infections are at an increased risk of stroke and researchers mention that the more severe the infection, the greater the risk of stroke appears to be.
While the American Heart Association says there is no definitive, direct evidence that heart disease can be prevented by working to prevent gum disease, that doesn’t mean that it can’t help. That’s one reason why regular dental check-ups are important at any age.When was the last time you visited us? Schedule an appointment to get your gums checked out today!
Oct 17, 2016
You may have seen the big headlines recently about flossing not being what it is cracked up to be. The Food and Drug Administration, along with the entire dental industry, has been promoting flossing as an important part of your oral health regimen since 1979. Unfortunately, the FDA was forced to recant the importance of flossing because of a ‘lack’ of solid research. We at Falmouth Dental Arts remain steadfast in our recommendation for flossing once a day. Here’s why.
Though research is important in any scientific or medical field, so is anecdotal proof. We, and many other dental professionals, have countless stories of patients who have suffered from a lack of flossing. We have seen the benefits people gain from flossing daily, and the harm a lack of flossing can cause.
Think of a tooth as a cube. Brushing helps clean the top and two sides of the cube, but cannot make direct contact with the two adjacent sides. This is where flossing comes in, being able to remove food particles where brushing cannot. Not flossing is like getting your car washed, but never cleaning the salt off the undercarriage – every New Englander knows how that will end!
The recent Associated Press article and Food and Drug Administration decision will lead to more thorough flossing research being performed. We, along with the vast majority of the dental industry, are confident that we know what the results of this research will be – floss, Floss, FLOSS!
If you have any questions about flossing or other oral health recommendations, please give us a call at 207-781-5900.
floss
Jun 13, 2016
Though we can’t complain about this past winter we had, there’s no doubt we are all excited for summer and all it has to offer. One of our favorite traditions is being able to eat outdoors with friends and family. Historically, the summer barbeque offers fare that is less than dental friendly. Fear not – we have tips to keep your teeth healthy while you enjoy fun in the sun.
Cheese
Eating cheese as an appetizer can help protect your teeth against the strong acids found in other foods. Cheese is also loaded with calcium, which is always good for teeth and bones.
The Veggie Plate – your friend
Though it is often overlooked, the classic circular veggie plate can be your best friend at a barbeque. We all know vegetables are good for us, and the more you fill up on them, the less you’ll be eating the bad stuff. Despite what some of our young children might say, biting into a fresh red pepper is both delicious and refreshing.
Condiments
We don’t typically think of condiments as being sweet, but trust us, there is a lot of sugar in there, especially in many name-brand products. Focus on flavoring your hamburger with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and pickles rather than slopping on the ketchup and barbeque sauce.
Avoid starches
Though they can certainly be addictive, chips and other starchy snacks do a great job of getting stuck in our molars. For those long days at the beach with no toothbrush, avoiding starchy foods could save you from a cavity or two down the road.
Bring on the meat! And by meat we mean fish!
Charcoal-grilled fish is not only one of the most delicious foods there is, it is also far healthier for your teeth than red meat. Besides being less likely to get stuck in between your teeth, fish oils have anti-inflammatory properties that help fight against bacteria. Choose a Gulf of Maine Research Institute responsibly harvested fish and you’ll be helping to keep Casco Bay healthy as well – bonus!
Follow these tips this summer and your mouth will thank you, but if you couldn’t resist those ribs and corn on the cob and are starting to feel the repercussions, give us a call to make an appointment.
Jun 13, 2016
Milk. The delicious beverage that makes our lattes foamy, our ice cream creamy, and our milk shakes, well, milky. Milk is everywhere! In fact, milk is so pervasive to us humans we probably forget how unique our relationship with milk is. For example, our species is the only one in existence whose adults consume milk. All other mammalian species only drink milk as babies.
Anthropologists have been pondering this mystery for years and have theorized where our milk-drinking obsession began. Until now, there has been little direct evidence to test these theories besides studying genes in different populations. Researchers think they have found direct evidence that can trace our milk-consuming history back to its roots. They discovered milk proteins in samples of dental plaque from ancient human teeth. That’s right, they discovered 5,000-year-old plaque build-up from early man drinking too much milk and not brushing and flossing enough!
The markers indicating the presence of milk in the ancient plaque were not found in all the specimens studied. As expected, adult human remains tested from areas where dairy animals were not utilized, such as West Africa, had no traces of milk in their dental plaque. Ancient Europeans, who we know have been raising dairy animals for millennia, did test positive. As more specimens are tested and more results come in, a road map will begin to form that will show the journey our milk-drinking genes took around the world.
As we continue to enjoy this subtly sweet beverage, remember that milk lactose is a sugar and can lead to cavities just like other sweets. Always brush after consuming any food, including milk. If it’s been a while since your last checkup, make an appointment to have us remove your ancient plaque!
To read the full article visit Science Daily.
dental plaque
Apr 20, 2016
Our teeth are under constant threat by the hazards that lead to periodontal disease: sugar and bacteria. For smokers, these threats become magnified by a factor of four! That’s right, smokers are four times more likely to develop periodontal disease, also known as gum disease. What’s more, once you have gum disease, smoking makes it harder for treatments to manage it.
The link between cigarette smoke and cancer is well known. With respect to oral health, this includes all oral cancers. Smoking increases the chances of developing oral leukoplakia, which has the appearance of thick, white patches along the gums, tongue, or cheeks. If you’re a smoker and you’ve noticed these white patches, it’s important that you try to stop smoking and consult your dentist or physician. If you continue smoking, leukoplakia could lead to mouth, tongue, or throat cancer.
Smoking can also affect the beauty of your smile. The same plaque and tartar buildup that can lead to gum disease can also make your teeth look unattractive. Smoking also leads to yellowing of the teeth and bad breath, which can impact your self confidence in addition to your smile.
If you are concerned about the impact smoking has had on your teeth, call us today to schedule an appointment.
smoking and dental hygiene oral cancer awareness month
Apr 20, 2016
Ahh, winter is finally over (knock on wood)! Time to clear out the garage, remove the cobwebs in the attic, and schedule a spring cleaning for your teeth. We know spring is a busy time of year, but remember that receiving regular cleanings will help ensure your teeth stay healthy enough for you to enjoy some barbecue this summer!
In addition to being vital for your oral health, cleanings can help us diagnose other diseases in your body. Similar to the saying ‘the eyes are the windows to the soul,’ your teeth and gums can give signals related to other maladies in your body, like heart disease and cancer. Regular cleanings and check-ups increase the chances of catching these illnesses in their early stages.
We offer holistic options with our cleanings, such as using ozone in place of fluoride to naturally harden your teeth’s enamel. To learn more, visit our Holistic Dentistry page.
Give us a call or visit our New or Existing patient appointment pages to schedule your personal spring cleaning!
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