Your Heart: The Dental Connection!

Your dental health is closely connected to your overall health.  The mouth can oftentimes be the first place to show signs of other bodily health issues.

Studies have shown possible links between gum disease and heart disease, and researchers have found that people with gum disease have an elevated risk of suffering from a stroke or developing coronary artery disease.  Hard to believe, but an estimated 70-80 percent of North American adults currently have some form of gum disease!

Gum disease, which affects the tissues that support the teeth, is an infection caused by a sticky film of bacteria called plaque that forms daily on the teeth, mainly along the gum line.  In its early stages, called gingivitis, gum disease can be treated and often reversed.

To help keep your mouth and heart healthy, check out these tips to help prevent problems before they arise.

• Brush your teeth for two minutes, twice daily.
• Effectively floss once a day to remove the bacteria that forms between the teeth and below the gum line.
• Maintain regular 6 month cleanings and exams, or sooner if recommended.
• Eat a healthy diet.  This includes avoiding foods with a high concentration of sugars or starches, instead, consume more fruits and vegetables.
• Avoid tobacco and copious levels of alcohol.  If you smoke, QUIT! And remember, heavy drinking dramatically increases the risk of developing mouth and throat cancer.

Don't put off your next dental visit any longer! If it has been a while since your last cleaning and exam, call our office at 918-455-0123.

God Bless,

DRT

Valentine's Day 2015!

Valentine's Day is best known as a celebration of love in all its forms.  Pink hearts, red roses, and cute greeting cards adorn every surface that you see.  What many people don't realize is that the modern Valentine's Day celebration actually arose from a religious holiday!

St. Valentine's Day was originally celebrated as a religious feast day in honor of early Christian martyrs.  The martyrs named Valentine were honored: a priest in Rome, the persecuted bishop of Interamna, which is a town in central Italy, and a saint martyred in Africa.

The origin of Valentine's Day as a holiday for sweethearts actually began with Geoffrey Chaucer in his 1382 poem.  As the poet wrote, "For this was on Saint Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate," and the modern day romantic holiday was born.  Shakespeare and many other writers have also mentioned Valentine's Day as a day of love.

Today, over $1 billion chocolates are sold in our country alone, with heart-shaped boxes accounting for 35 million of those purchased. And, on Valentine's Day itself, florists sell nearly 200 million stems of roses!

Although many people dismiss Valentine's Day as a commercialized "Hallmark holiday," it is beloved to couples and romantics across the United States and other countries.  No matter what your celebratory plans may be this February 14th, may it truly be a wonderful day to celebrate the loved ones in your life! Happy Valentine's Day from all of us at Thomas Family Dentistry!

God Bless,
DRT

Thumb Sucking: The Dental Connection!

Since February is National Children's Dental Health Month, check out this common habit that can affect the dental health of a child.  Although many children commonly use a pacifier or suck their thumb, depending on how long the thumb sucking or constant pacifier use continues, and how aggressively the child sucks a thumb or pacifier, it can indeed be an oral health issue.  Generally speaking, most children outgrow these behaviors or are able to be weaned off them successfully sometime between the ages of two and four. When children wean off the behaviors in this age range, long-term damage is unlikely.

Both thumb sucking and pacifiers provide a form of self soothing to a child when he or she feels upset, stressed, confused, frustrated, or are unable to properly express their emotions.  As previously mentioned, while both habits are common, if a child is a regular thumb sucker or desires to use a pacifier almost constantly, it is best to taper off these habits at a young age.

If your child continues these habits after leaving toddler-hood, dental problems can start to develop. Check out the following tips to encourage your child to discontinue these habits.

• When your child is NOT using a pacifier or sucking a thumb, offer effusive praise.
• Positive reinforcement can be much more effective than scolding a child.
• Institute a reward system for giving up the habit and becoming a "big kid."
• Employ the help of older siblings or relatives that your child admires.

If you have any questions or you or your child are in need of a dental appointment, call our office at 918-455-0123!

God Bless,

DRT

Diet Pop: The Dental Connection!

It sounds too good to be true. A drink that tastes like your favorite pop but has zero calories. No wonder people think that they can sip on it all day long. It's practically like drinking water! Or is it? By now you've probably heard that diet pop isn't the health drink it pretends to be.  If you can't seem to get motivated to stop your daily diet pop habit, read on for the latest news on why you need to cut it out of your life.

• Diet Pop Can Boost Your Diabetes Risk
• Diet Pop changes the make-up of gut microbes, which increase the risk for Type II Diabetes.
• Artificial Sweeteners leads to glucose intolerance.
• Diet Pop Can Increase You Waist Line
• Researchers found that diet pop consumers had a 70% increase in waist size compared to non-diet pop drinkers.
• Diet Pop Erodes Your Tooth Enamel
• Diet pop may be sugar free, but it does contain phosphoric and citric acids as flavoring agents, which studies have shown to dissolve enamel.
• Diet Pop Changes Your Metabolism
• One diet pop a day increases the risk for metabolic syndrome by 34%.
• Diet Pop Can Lead To A Higher Risk Of Depression
• Research has now linked that drinking more than 4 cans of pop a day increases the risk of depression by 30% as compared to those that do not. The risk is even higher among diet pop consumers.

All that said, it isn't a good idea to switch back to regular pop either.  One can of pop has 33 grams of sugar-and most people drink more that just one 12-ounce serving! If you have any questions or are in need of a dental appointment, call our office at 918-455-0123!

God Bless,

DRT

Your Overall Health: The Dental Connection!

There are many ways in which your oral health has an impact on your overall general health.  There are naturally occurring bacteria in the mouth.  Some of those bacteria, including strep and staph, are harmful, while other bacteria are essential for the balance of intestinal flora. The healthier that your mouth is, the less likely it is that the harmful bacteria will travel to other parts of your body to infect it and potentially make you sick.  There is much more to good dental hygiene than brushing and flossing.

Did you know that ancient civilizations relied on natural remedies for maintaining oral health?  While certain Egyptians used myrrh and other herbs as antiseptics for treating infected gums, others who lived in the Nile River Valley, drank beer to ease the pain of infected teeth!  At first thought, I figured that the alcohol content must have numbed their pain.  However, their beer was effective because they used grains that were contaminated with the same bacteria that produce the antibiotic tetracycline!

In the past due to a lack of routine dental care and products that strengthen enamel, tooth decay was more of an issue.  However today, gum disease has replaced tooth decay as the most serious dental problem currently facing people.  According to the American Dental Association, a staggering 80 percent of Americans over the age of 65 suffer from some sort of periodontal disease. Researchers now know that gum disease causes a chronic inflammation, which is a driving force for multiple chronic illnesses, including clogged arteries, heart attacks, arthritis, and even cancer. Bacterial overgrowth in the inflamed gum tissue can even enter your bloodstream while you are eating.

If you have any questions or are in need of a dental appointment, call our office at 918-455-0123!

God Bless,
DRT

Sensitivity: The Dental Connection!

If a sip of ice water, a spoonful of ice cream, or a piping hot latte is enough to send shivers up your spine from tooth sensitivity, be assured that you're not alone.  It's estimated that as many as one in eight adults suffers from tooth sensitivity.

Some of the common causes of sensitivity include brushing too hard, a cracked tooth, receding gums, periodontal disease, tooth bleaching, or other conditions that expose the sensitive roots of your teeth. For example, brushing too aggressively can injure your gums, and lead to exposed roots and tooth sensitivity.

When the enamel on the outside of the tooth or tissue located between the teeth breaks down or wears away, nerves inside the tooth are triggered, which are particularly noticeable when you drink or eat anything hot or cold.

Fortunately, there are a number of things that you can do, both at home and at our office, to reduce the discomfort of sensitive teeth.  Check out the following list of current recommendations to reduce sensitivity.

• BRUSH WITH SENSITIVITY TOOTHPASTE
• BRUSH WITH A SOFT BRISTLED TOOTHBRUSH
• AVOID BRUSHING AFTER CONSUMING ACIDIC FOODS OR BEVERAGES
• DRINK WATER OR MILK AFTER CONSUMING ACIDIC ITEMS
• USE A STRAW WHEN DRINKING ACIDIC BEVERAGES
• WEAR A NIGHT GUARD TO PREVENT ENAMEL THINNING
• OBTAIN PROFESSIONALLY APPLIED DESENSITIZERS

If you have any questions about tooth sensitivity or are in need of an appointment, call our office at 918-455-0123!

God Bless,

DRT

Dentistry Around The World!

From the clinical perspective, dentistry is similar around the world.  All dentists go to school, obtain a license, and work hard to prevent and treat tooth decay, gum disease, oral infections, throat and oral cancer, tooth loss, and other conditions that might limit a person's ability to smile, bite, chew, or speak.  However, the quality of dental care and the payment method for dental services varies between nations.

Although developed countries like the United States have about one dentist for every 2,000 citizens, there is only one dentist for every 150,000 people living in developing nations like those in Africa.  The lack of dentists in these underserved countries means that dental care is restricted to pain management and emergency care only.

The requirements for obtaining a dental license and the standard of dental care is set by each country. Although European schools and standards are very similar to the United States, many other countries are not able to provide the same level of education and care due to the lack of access to much needed resources such as modern equipment, supplies and facilities.

While the role of every dentist is nearly the same in every county - to ensure the oral health of the citizens - dental care can be different in each nation.  Regardless, rest assured that our country is blessed to have the highest standard of dental care available in the entire world!

If you have any questions about the dental care that is available in the United States, or are in need of an appointment, call our office at 918-455-0123!

God Bless,
DRT