Stop smoking, exercise, lose some weight, and watch your diet. How often is it that we hear these fundamentals from our doctors and drug companies when it comes to having a healthy heart? I’ll toss out another-brush your teeth and have your gums checked regularly.
Yes there is gathering evidence that heart disease is twice as high in people who have periodontal (gum and tooth supporting bone) disease. It seems that the most common bacteria in the gums may cause blood clots increasing the incidence of heart attacks and strokes. Furthermore, the same bacteria can infect the heart valves.
How do the bacteria from the mouth get into the bloodstream become harmful? Bacteria cause periodontal disease. We know there are many types of bacteria in the mouth. When the disease causing bacteria are in high enough population the host (you) may develop an immune reaction. If you have bleeding in your body you should be very concerned. Likewise when there is bleeding in the gums you should have the same response. Chronic recurring bleeding is not good anywhere. Bleeding indicates that tiny blood vessels are opened up and become a pathway for bacterial infection in the blood stream. The presence of bacteria in the blood is bacteremia and over time it may spread to other body tissues like the heart.
The first line of defense is maintaining a healthy mouth. This requires meaningful brushing, flossing, and dental checkups. The dental hygienist is your best friend. The hygienist will check to see if the gums are infected, bleeding, or swollen. Then they will check to see if any bone loss or breakdown in the gum attachment to the tooth has occurred. Remember that periodontal disease (over 50% of us have it) is painless and progressive. You may not be aware of it until the end stages of the disease.
Warning signs that you should know about include gums that bleed when you brush, gums that are red swollen or tender, gums that pull away from teeth, pus or loose teeth, front teeth that begin separating and persistent bad breath. Periodontal disease has a very characteristic odor and can be sensed by those around you. It is a complicating factor for those afflicted with diabetes, stroke, pulmonary disease, and gastric ulcers.
Treatment will vary according to the severity. The first steps will be good oral hygiene instruction and frequent monitoring. Regular cleanings of the bacteria encrusted surfaces of your teeth is a proven method to stop the destruction caused by these bugs. Surgery may be needed from the periodontist. Maintenance is required because these bugs can double in population every twenty minutes. I have seen periodontal disease that has been in remission only to suddenly (within 6 weeks) strike up again. That is why frequent monitoring is crucial.
Periodontal disease is something that you have to live with but it is controllable. Keep up with your dental checkups!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Dr. Urban on Today’s Dentistry/Do you or someone close to you snore?
Snoring is a sign of a restricted airway that becomes relaxed during sleep. The tissues in the back of the throat can start fluttering during the breathing cycles. Although simple snoring usually does not disturb the sleeper it can cause social issues for others.
The incidence of snoring increases with age, weight gain, alcohol use, and prescription medications for sleep aid. Snoring can also be a sign of a more serious disorder called sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is characterized by pauses in breathing from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. This can occur a few times during the night or hundreds of times. It can result in a low oxygen saturation level in the blood starving the tissues and organs. It can result in heart disease and death.
A medical doctor can confirm a diagnosis of sleep apnea after carefully reviewing the results of a sleep study test. This is done in sleep study centers and it monitors such criteria as blood oxygen level, REM cycles, and number breathing cessations per hour.
You can ask yourself these questions to see if you should seek help. What are my chances of dozing when I sit and read, watch TV, sit in public places, wait for red lights while driving, sit as a passenger in a car, and the likelihood of falling to sleep after lunch? If you are tired or fatigued easily during the day it would be very prudent to consult with your physician for advice.
Sleep apnea can be initiated from the brain or from physical factors that obstruct and collapse the breathing space. Exactly where the collapse occurs in the back of the throat can determine the treatment alternatives. This is referred to as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Treatments for OSA can vary from anti-snoring devices made by dentists, sleeping on specially tilted pillows, neck slings, or wearing facemasks attached to positive pressure air pumps. As with all treatment options these CPAP pumps cannot be tolerated by everyone and may have a limited success with some individuals. In severe cases where respiratory arrest is possible surgery may be an option. Surgical removal of excessive soft tissues in the throat and nasal sinus surgeries have been performed open up the airways with moderated success. In extreme cases skeletal surgeries are performed to open up airways with great success. It sounds like a lot of treatment, but we are talking about a life-threatening situation if left untreated.
Regardless, I hope that you can appreciate that snoring may be a sign of a more serious problem and that it should be discussed with your physician or dentist. Your dentist can do a quick airway analysis, ask a few questions, and refer you to a physician specializing in sleep apnea. Depending upon the results you may just have a snoring problem that can be alleviated with a simple appliance to open the air space for normal sleep or require a more elaborate treatment.
For answers to your dental questions, contact
Douglas Urban, D.D.S., Cerritos, CA 90703,
562-924-1523. DrDouglasUrban.com
The incidence of snoring increases with age, weight gain, alcohol use, and prescription medications for sleep aid. Snoring can also be a sign of a more serious disorder called sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is characterized by pauses in breathing from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. This can occur a few times during the night or hundreds of times. It can result in a low oxygen saturation level in the blood starving the tissues and organs. It can result in heart disease and death.
A medical doctor can confirm a diagnosis of sleep apnea after carefully reviewing the results of a sleep study test. This is done in sleep study centers and it monitors such criteria as blood oxygen level, REM cycles, and number breathing cessations per hour.
You can ask yourself these questions to see if you should seek help. What are my chances of dozing when I sit and read, watch TV, sit in public places, wait for red lights while driving, sit as a passenger in a car, and the likelihood of falling to sleep after lunch? If you are tired or fatigued easily during the day it would be very prudent to consult with your physician for advice.
Sleep apnea can be initiated from the brain or from physical factors that obstruct and collapse the breathing space. Exactly where the collapse occurs in the back of the throat can determine the treatment alternatives. This is referred to as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Treatments for OSA can vary from anti-snoring devices made by dentists, sleeping on specially tilted pillows, neck slings, or wearing facemasks attached to positive pressure air pumps. As with all treatment options these CPAP pumps cannot be tolerated by everyone and may have a limited success with some individuals. In severe cases where respiratory arrest is possible surgery may be an option. Surgical removal of excessive soft tissues in the throat and nasal sinus surgeries have been performed open up the airways with moderated success. In extreme cases skeletal surgeries are performed to open up airways with great success. It sounds like a lot of treatment, but we are talking about a life-threatening situation if left untreated.
Regardless, I hope that you can appreciate that snoring may be a sign of a more serious problem and that it should be discussed with your physician or dentist. Your dentist can do a quick airway analysis, ask a few questions, and refer you to a physician specializing in sleep apnea. Depending upon the results you may just have a snoring problem that can be alleviated with a simple appliance to open the air space for normal sleep or require a more elaborate treatment.
For answers to your dental questions, contact
Douglas Urban, D.D.S., Cerritos, CA 90703,
562-924-1523. DrDouglasUrban.com
Thursday, May 7, 2009
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.(Preventing the Infection that causes periodontal Disease)
Sometimes I am not sure if this saying meant an English pound (or dollar) or a metaphorical weight measure. Let’s briefly explore how this applies to your dental health.
I was recently attending one of my study clubs and listening to an excellent case presentation involving a complete overhaul of someone’s teeth. The complexity of the case, extractions, implants, lengthy time involvement, the number of specialists consulted, and of course the price tag (which was in the neighborhood of $70,000) was almost overwhelming.
This very extensive treatment and investment was a result of advanced periodontal disease that required extractions of all the teeth. Regretfully, all of this could have been prevented.
We know that periodontal disease or “gum and bone disease” starts as a gum infection that can spread to the underlying tooth-supporting bone. Statistically, this is the major reason for tooth loss as an adult. The severity and speed of this painless disease depends on the populations of certain bacteria and your immune system’s response.
Prevention includes at least twice daily effective tooth brushing, flossing, and regular dental visits. Your dentist can help by prescribing anti-microbial rinses, antibiotics, prescription strength fluoridated toothpastes, and specialized cleaning aids for at home use. I recommend the electric toothbrushes made by Oral-B Braun, Sonicare, and Rotodent. Each brand has it own individual mechanism of cleaning action. If you use a manual toothbrush, brush thoroughly but gently to prevent tooth and gum injury.
If you smoke, you can stop reading this article. The damgaging effects of smoking throw all the meaningful statistics and studies out the window. Systemic diseases such as diabetes can also complicate the fight against periodontal disease. Your general dentist or periodontist will consider all health factors and medications when diagnosing the state of health of the supporting structures of teeth (the periodontium) before recommending treatment alternatives.
Dentists can help control the damage caused from periodontal disease by removing the causative agents that collect below the gum line that the toothbrush is not reaching. Interrupting the daily life of a bacterium is critical. Of course a bacterial lifetime may only be twenty minutes so you must adhere to a daily habit of brushing. Think of preventative dental care as an investment that cannot be taken from you in uncertain economic times.
Regaining some lost periodontal tissues may be possible with advanced laser treatments, tooth recontouring and frequent hygiene visits. A periodontist can perform surgical correction of the gum contours as a result of periodontal disease. Also, teeth can be extracted and replaced with implants. Sometimes this is necessary and not anybody’s fault. Most of the time it is preventable.
Prevention means good daily diet and home care. Have regular dentist visits so early signs of periodontal disease can be treated and stopped. Unfortunately, once we have periodontal disease we are never cured. However, it can be controlled before it becomes very costly to treat.
I was recently attending one of my study clubs and listening to an excellent case presentation involving a complete overhaul of someone’s teeth. The complexity of the case, extractions, implants, lengthy time involvement, the number of specialists consulted, and of course the price tag (which was in the neighborhood of $70,000) was almost overwhelming.
This very extensive treatment and investment was a result of advanced periodontal disease that required extractions of all the teeth. Regretfully, all of this could have been prevented.
We know that periodontal disease or “gum and bone disease” starts as a gum infection that can spread to the underlying tooth-supporting bone. Statistically, this is the major reason for tooth loss as an adult. The severity and speed of this painless disease depends on the populations of certain bacteria and your immune system’s response.
Prevention includes at least twice daily effective tooth brushing, flossing, and regular dental visits. Your dentist can help by prescribing anti-microbial rinses, antibiotics, prescription strength fluoridated toothpastes, and specialized cleaning aids for at home use. I recommend the electric toothbrushes made by Oral-B Braun, Sonicare, and Rotodent. Each brand has it own individual mechanism of cleaning action. If you use a manual toothbrush, brush thoroughly but gently to prevent tooth and gum injury.
If you smoke, you can stop reading this article. The damgaging effects of smoking throw all the meaningful statistics and studies out the window. Systemic diseases such as diabetes can also complicate the fight against periodontal disease. Your general dentist or periodontist will consider all health factors and medications when diagnosing the state of health of the supporting structures of teeth (the periodontium) before recommending treatment alternatives.
Dentists can help control the damage caused from periodontal disease by removing the causative agents that collect below the gum line that the toothbrush is not reaching. Interrupting the daily life of a bacterium is critical. Of course a bacterial lifetime may only be twenty minutes so you must adhere to a daily habit of brushing. Think of preventative dental care as an investment that cannot be taken from you in uncertain economic times.
Regaining some lost periodontal tissues may be possible with advanced laser treatments, tooth recontouring and frequent hygiene visits. A periodontist can perform surgical correction of the gum contours as a result of periodontal disease. Also, teeth can be extracted and replaced with implants. Sometimes this is necessary and not anybody’s fault. Most of the time it is preventable.
Prevention means good daily diet and home care. Have regular dentist visits so early signs of periodontal disease can be treated and stopped. Unfortunately, once we have periodontal disease we are never cured. However, it can be controlled before it becomes very costly to treat.
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