General Health Information

Saliva will help limit common dental problems
because it has specialized enzymes that help produce antibodies which
can destroy harmful bacteria like the S. mutans-a common cause of
cavities and other oral health problems. Also, your saliva is a wealthy
source of oxygen-something that the harmful bacteria cannot thrive in
which is why they tend to live behind layers of plaque and tartar where
the saliva cannot penetrate.

When it comes to dental health and oral
hygiene, many of us believe we pretty much know about all there is to
know about the topic. However, despite intense public information
campaigns, widespread water fluoridation programs, and improved dental
health products, there are some very sobering statistics regarding our
failure to properly prevent common dental problems like cavities and
gum disease. Here are a few statistics compiled by the CDC: nearly 1 in
4 adults over the age of 60 have lost all of their natural teeth, nine
in ten adults has tooth decay over the age of 40, 1 in 4 children under
the age of five already has a cavity, 1 in 2 children aged 6-18 have at
least one cavity-for those that do have cavities and also live below
the poverty line-only half get treatment, and upwards of 15% of adults
are believed to have advanced gum disease.

Although we all have been taught to use dental health products
to fend off cavities and other potential problems with oral health,
saliva is a very critical component to any long-term strategy for
keeping bacteria at bay. Some dental health products are made with
chemicals and other harsh ingredients that can actually lower
salivation rates and put you at increase risk for developing advanced
periodontal disease, cavities, and gingivitis. Indeed, it is no
exaggeration to state that the wrong dental health information can
potentially shorten your life so be sure to avoid activities that
decrease salivation-including some dental health products that were
supposedly created to prevent problems!

Another key component in saliva-which actually makes it superior to many dental health products-is
the presence of specialized enzymes that help produce antibodies that
destroy the harmful varieties of bacteria. Any activity that causes
dehydration and lower salivation rates puts you at risk for severe
periodontal disease and cavities. Here are some common causes of
dehydration that can put you at increased risk for developing common
dental health problems: medication, improper hydration (you need a
minimum of ½ ounce of water for every pound of body weight-if
relatively inactive. Your body needs approximately 2/3 ounces of water
for every pound of body weight if active), consuming any caffeinated
products or alcohol, using stimulants or products that increase
metabolism rates and excessive exercise or physical exertion.

Your mouth plays host to dozens of different types of bacteria. Some of
these microorganisms are actually helpful and may even be able to help
control the other bacteria-you know, the harmful kind that cause
disease, infection, and in some cases, death itself. The anaerobic
bacteria (the harmful type) hate oxygen and therefore tend to breed
better behind plaque and tartar where our saliva and simple oral
hygiene cannot get to them. If these bacteria are not controlled, then
they can threaten dental health and heart disease or other serious problems will arise when they spread beyond the oral cavity.

Sadly, it is absolutely no exaggeration to say that incorrect dental health information
can shorten your life. Simply stated, every single system in your body
is connected so when common dental problems are allowed to get out of
control, then other systems are affected and larger medical issues tend
to develop. What may begin as a simple case of gingivitis may quickly
become advanced periodontal disease which as been linked to a number of
severe medical problems, including: increased chances for stroke, more
likely to develop coronary artery disease or worsen the condition, and
may develop infective endocarditis-an infection in the heart itself
that can weaken and deteriorate this vital organ and shorten your life.