Dentistry and Pregnancy - Part I

Pregnancy is a very exciting and busy time. There are so many changes going on in your body and your mouth is no exception. Good oral hygiene is extremely important during pregnancy because the increase of hormone levels during pregnancy can cause dental problems to be intensified.

One of the most common dental problems associated with pregnancy is a condition known as pregnancy gingivitis, which usually occurs during the first trimester. Symptoms of pregnancy gingivitis are usually bleeding, swollen, red and tender gums.

Good oral health during pregnancy could also be important to your fetus. Some researchers have suggested that the serious stage of gum disease, periodontitis, could cause premature birth and low birth weight.

The tips listed here can help you maintain good oral health throughout your pregnancy.

• Visit your dentist for regular check ups and cleanings. This is the best way to make sure that you are maintaining good oral hygiene.
• Brush your teeth properly at least twice a day to remove plaque.
• Floss your teeth daily. Flossing will remove food debris from in between the teeth that a toothbrush can't reach.
• Use an antimicrobial mouth rinse. Antimicrobial mouth rinses can help prevent gingivitis.
• Brush or scrape your tongue daily to help remove bacteria.
• Eat nutritious meals and healthy snacks.

Now that you know what to do to protect your oral health, sit back, relax and enjoy this beautiful time in your life.

Children likelier to see dentist if parents have regular visits

A new study shows that 77 percent of children and 64 percent of parents had seen a dentist in the previous year. About 86 percent of children whose parents had a dental visit during the preceding year had a dental exam, compared to about 63 percent of the children whose parents had not seen a dentist.

The data is from a recent National Health Interview Study of 6,107 children age 2 to 17 and their parents. The findings show that programs that promote children's oral health also should target their parents, said the study's author, Inyang Isong, M.D., a pediatrician and research fellow at the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Child and Adolescent Health Policy.

About 76 percent of parents in the study were employed and had health insurance. However, financial barriers still kept some of those families from seeing a dentist. Some parents delayed dental care due to cost, and 27 percent of their children also had care deferred.

Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States, especially among minority children and those from lower-income families, thus "strategies to promote oral health should focus on the whole family," said Dr. Isong.

What's more, many people are unaware of the important role dental care plays in children's overall health, according to the ADA in a National Children's Dental Health Month news release.

The ADA recommends that parents take action early to ensure the health of their children's teeth because attitudes and habits established at an early age are critical in maintaining good oral health throughout life.

Red wine helps in oral health!!!

Studies in Italy have shown that chemicals in red wine called proanthocyanidins, phytonutrients found in foods like grapes, apples and chocolate that have antioxidant properties, seem to prevent the bacteria Streptococcus mutans, which causes tooth decay, from sticking to saliva and teeth.

Italian researchers removed the alcohol from a high-quality Italian red wine, then added the nonalcoholic red wine to cultures of S. mutans in saliva, saliva-coated extracted teeth and saliva-coated calcium ceramic beads. They found that the addition of the wine prevented the bacteria clinging to the saliva and the teeth.

The Italian researchers say they would like to study the effects of grape juice on S. mutans in the future.

Research conducted at Cornell University in New York and in Canada found that polyphenols, or chemicals in grape seeds and red wine that help neutralize the damaging effect of damaging free radical atoms in the body, seem to help limit inflammation caused by gingivitis, or bacterial infections of the gums. Limiting inflammation may also protect against periodontal disease, a more serious form of gingivitis that can lead to tooth decay or tooth loss.

"Our findings demonstrate that red wine polyphenols have potent antioxidant properties," concluded the study authors from the Université Laval in Quebec, Canada.

Research isn't as clear about benefits of white wines, and some researchers say the high acid content of white wine might erode tooth enamel

Dental Tourism : Part 1

Dental Tourism is a budding concept for a planned vacation along with total Dental solution and care. Health problems and treatment are very costly in most of the European and American countries compared to this part of the world. We provide excellent package to meet your treatment expenditure and at the same time guide you to spend the vacation. You can enjoy your holidays and receive services related to Dentistry such as Dental Implants at a very affordable price.

A dentist can charge US$300 to US$400 for a Dental Filling in USA & Europe. It costs only US$20 to US$40 in India. A Root Canal is US$800 to US$1300 in the West but only US$200 to US$250 in India. Dentures can cost US$1000 overseas but only US$300 in India.

Dental implants, the most sought after dental treatment modality, can cost US$3000 to US$ 5000 abroad, but only US$1100 in India, along with Ceramic prosthesis. The difference in charge of a Dentist from US to India is worth a thought.

That is why India has recently become a Major Tourist Hub of Dental Care Solutions.

You can have your tooth fixed and make your holidays memorable at the same time or simply, enjoy the different hues of Mystic India and get the Dental treatment done without getting a hole in your pocket.

Treatment for oral side effects of cancer

A mouth cancer expert has welcomed two new treatments for patients suffering with cancer. MuGard is a mouth rinse for prevention and management of the lesions and symptoms of oral mucositis.
Head and neck cancer patients often suffer severe mucosal ulcerations and soreness as side-effects of these treatments and will benefit from using it.The other product is Xerotin, a ready-to-use moisturising mouth spray for the relief of the dry mouth (Xerostomia), a common side-effect of radiation damage to the salivary glands.
Oral complications are common in patients receiving radiation and or chemotherapy treatment especially in the head and neck area.
The Mouth Cancer Foundation's Dr Vinod Joshi welcomed the new mouth rinse and spray. He said: ‘These new options could provide much-needed respite for patients. They will be grateful if MuGard is effective in delaying the onset of oral mucositis and reducing its severity. He added: ‘Following radiotherapy and or chemotherapy, many patients also suffer from a dry mouth. Xerotin's ability to lubricate and moisturise the mouth will offer a new option for patients. Xerotin has a neutral pH and will not be damaging to teeth.'

Getting Wiser About Wisdom Teeth

Rites of passage for American teenagers include obtaining a driver's license, high school graduation, voting for the first time, and for many, prophylactic (preventive) extraction of their (third molar) extraction.

Generally, dentists believe that the removal of third molars before the age of 22 prevents later disease and difficulty. Some dentists who specialize in public health opine that because only about one of eight third molars ever cause significant health problems, it does not make sense to remove them all. Information continues to evolve and will effect the future of dental treatment recommendations and patients' comfort with their own decisions

The web site of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, www.aaoms.org, carries a report titled "White Paper on Third Molar Data." This thorough paper enumerates the reasons for prophylactic extraction of third molars. The authors refer to recent studies demonstrating that periodontal disease around third molars is a cause for more serious ailments including coronary artery disease, stroke, kidney disease, diabetes, and obstetric complications. Additionally, the AAOMS asserts that retained wisdom teeth of pregnant women are likely to cause low birth weight of their offspring.

The links between periodontal disease and systemic illness and low birth weight are driving dental insurance companies to cover more frequent dental care for some individuals. Medical associations and medical insurance companies advise physicians to refer their patients for dental treatment. Linking periodontal disease to third molars would have the effect of increasing demand for third molar extraction.

Implant or Root Canal ????

There are some who argue that implants are more successful than endodontically treated teeth. This is despite the evidence that shows that implants and endodontically treated teeth have similar, almost identical success rates.

Richard Mounce DDS, an endodontist, points out that the only controversy between endodontics and implants is "primarily economic and more artificially manufactured than exists in reality...There are clear indications for endodontic therapy and clear indications for implant therapy. Rarely are these treatment options so evenly weighted that when considered side by side (as to their advantages and disadvantages) that there should be a 'competition' or 'controversy', most especially when the patient's interest is put first".

According to Gregori M. Kurtzman DDS, "as a general rule, it is better to save a tooth...if you can". Restorability is the key factor in determining when a tooth needs to be removed. Ability to get a good margin, not violate biological width, cracks, strength of furcation, crown:root ratio etc. are all important factors in determining the restorability of the tooth. An endodontically treated tooth with a poor restoration, will generally not have long term success.

However in the same article, Dr. Kurtzman goes on to questions the success rates of endodontic surgery, and even the value of endodontic retreatment. Dr. Kurtzman points out that the financial investment into retreatment, like all treatment options which does not have 100% success rate, may be better made in a more predictable treatment of an implant.
That argument shows lack of understanding and appreciation for modern microscopic endodontic therapy.