General Health Information

Pediatric dental health professionals continue to advise the use of
sugarless gums and similar products as a way of preventing tooth decay
in our youth. Do you remember when it seemed like all common dental health
problems seemed somehow linked to candy or sugar in one way or another?
However, dental health and oral hygiene crusades against sugar is only
a small part of the story because it is bacteria-not sugar-that you
really need to worry about when it comes to preventing tooth decay. It
is bacteria and not sugar that is the true source of cavities and other
oral health problems like advanced periodontal disease. Saliva,
complemented with alcohol-free dental health products, that will help
you best prevent those common dental health problems that can cause us
all so much grief!

Many of us are fully aware of the more common dental problems
like tooth decay, crooked teeth, and gingivitis. In fact, only a few
realize the full extent of the crisis because even these issues are
entirely “too common”. While the addition of fluoride to community
water supplies and common dental health products has drastically
reduced the rate of tooth decay (by an estimated 50%) in the past five
decades, the effort does not seem to be enough according to the CDC
which estimates:

* ¼ of all children have at least one cavity before the age of 6
* ½ of all children under the age of 18 have had at least one cavity
* 90% of adults will continue to have tooth decay problems after the age of 40
* Only 75% of adults make it to the age of 60 with SOME of their
original teeth left-1/4 of us have none of our original teeth by this
point
* Between 10-15% of all adults have advanced periodontal disease

To address certain threatening dental problems, the medical community has become more aware of how common dental problems
like gingivitis and severe periodontal disease that can cause far
greater medical issues than previously thought. However, this vital
dental health information has not been disseminated properly to the
public. Logically, until the public is adequately educated as to the
full extent of the damage that can result from conditions like advanced
periodontal disease, then the dental health care crisis will continue
into the foreseeable future. Let’s face it, gum disease should be
eliminated - promote good oral hygiene and observe cleanliness in our
environment.

Gingivitis, a mild form of gum disease and typically are painless is one of the most common dental problem
among people. Gingivitis and advanced periodontal disease is really an
infection that primarily affects the gum tissue (at first) and is
caused by anaerobic bacteria (such as S. mutans). This infection
becomes more severe when it spreads below the gum line because it
produces toxins that can dissolve the supporting bone and gingival
tissue that help support your teeth. If periodontal disease treatment
is not performed, the teeth will fall out and the bacteria will then
spread to other areas of the body-such as your heart. These harmful
bacteria that may attach to fatty plaques (responsible for clogging
arteries) in the heart. This will further clog the arteries and
restrict blood flow making heart attacks more likely. The bacteria may
also cause an infection in the heart itself (known as Infective
Endocarditis) and add further strain to this organ. That is why
superior oral hygiene should be observed beforehand before getting
threatened with this disease and it’s not too late.

The rate of common dental problems
is still higher than it should be because millions of people still live
in communities without fluoridated water. Many of these areas are rural
and tend to be comprised of mainly low-income residents who may not be
aware of dental health products made with fluoride or how they can help
prevent cavities. However, the high rates of tooth decay are not the
only cause for concern. Recent research has revealed an undeniable link
between dental health and heart disease problems. While common dental
health problems such as tooth decay are always cause for concern, far
too little attention is directed towards addressing the
life-threatening gum disease.

Many of us are fully aware of the more common dental problems
like tooth decay, crooked teeth, and gingivitis. In fact, only a few
realize the full extent of the crisis because even these issues are
entirely “too common”. While the addition of fluoride to community
water supplies and common dental health products has drastically
reduced the rate of tooth decay (by an estimated 50%) in the past five
decades, the effort does not seem to be enough according to the CDC
which estimates:

* ¼ of all children have at least one cavity before the age of 6
* ½ of all children under the age of 18 have had at least one cavity
* 90% of adults will continue to have tooth decay problems after the age of 40
* Only 75% of adults make it to the age of 60 with SOME of their
original teeth left-1/4 of us have none of our original teeth by this
point
* Between 10-15% of all adults have advanced periodontal disease

Proper nutrition and dental health
are indeed intimately linked. Thus, before focusing on fancy dental
health products that are supposedly the new space-aged cure-all for
dental health and oral hygiene concerns, it is important to get the
basics right. Nutrition is the foundation of dental health and oral
hygiene is the complement. To this end, it is important to focus on
fluoride intake. Almost all dental health information released in the
past 3 generations points to the importance of fluoride in the
prevention of the most common dental problems-cavities. However, even
with fluoride at recommended levels in your diet, tooth can still
compromise your dental health and oral cavity. When proper importance
is placed upon nutrition, dental health is naturally improved and good
oral hygiene practices are perfectly complemented.

Ever since the discovery of fluoride’s benefits in the fight against tooth decay, kids dental health
has made great stride in the past few decades. However, while the
dental health information regarding the overall reduction in cavities
is indeed very impressive during this time period-the fact remains that
cavities are the most common dental problems that children face. While
many parents may not have the means to treat common dental problems
such as gingivitis or tooth decay, the cost of prevention is far less
expensive. The additional efforts taken by a parent to help improve
oral hygiene habits may be the key that helps your child open doors to
opportunities later on in life. Besides, poor dental health and heart
disease are linked so the price of failing to learn good oral hygiene
can be far greater than not getting the best job.

Do you remember when it seemed like all common dental health problems
seemed somehow linked to candy or sugar in one way or another?
Pediatric dental health professionals continue to advise the use of
sugarless gums and similar products as a way of preventing tooth decay
in our youth. However, dental health and oral hygiene crusades against
sugar is only a small part of the story because it is bacteria-not
sugar-that you really need to worry about when it comes to preventing
tooth decay. Therefore, it is bacteria and not sugar that is the true
source of cavities and other oral health problems like advanced
periodontal disease. And it is saliva, complemented with alcohol-free
dental health products, that will help you best prevent those common
dental health problems that can cause us all so much grief!

A lot of progress has been made in recent years about a child and dental health
issues to help curb the number of cavities that the average child
develops. For instance, there have been dramatic improvements in dental
health products such as toothpaste made with fluoride and specialized
toothbrushes designed to get into those hard to reach crevices.
However, one of the most impressive innovations to come about in the
fight against common dental problems like cavities is called sealant.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of the public is unaware of the
benefit of using sealants to improve their kids dental health. So, if
you are worried about child dental health and want to prevent cavities
from forming, ask your dentist about sealants and how they can truly
make a big difference. To stop cavities before they start, you need to
kill the bacteria that causes the cavities.