May 2016 Edition

DIET AND ORAL HEALTH

MAY. 23. 2016

Eating Right for a Healthy Smile

Summer is almost here and happy and healthy body is what a lot of us wish for! Good nutrition is essential for good health, including the health of your teeth, and it can  be maintained by a healthy diet.

What is Healthy Diet? and Why is it important?

A healthy diet includes a variety of foods from the five major food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products, and protein. A healthy diet

  • provides nutrients needed for your body to function properly
  • helps prevent diseases linked with being over weight, such as diabetes and heart disease
  • helps you keep your teeth and gums healthy

Limiting or eliminating one of these groups can lead to vitamin or mineral deficiencies, which can impact your health. Then, how can we make changes in our diet to be more healthy?

Snacking Smart

Making smart choices when you snack can be a important first step. When you are choosing a snack, think about the followings:

  • Make healthy snack choices, such as fruit, nuts or cheese.
  • Eat sweets with meals instead of as snacks. Saliva increases during meals and helps weaken acid and rinse food particles from the mouth.
  • Avoid beverages with added sugar. Sugar fuels the bacteria that produce acid and cause tooth decay, so avoid excessive intake of sugary foods and drinks.

TOOTH LOSS AND THE HIDDEN CONSEQUENCES

May. 11. 2016

As our population is both aging and growing, an increasing number of people are being affected by the loss of teeth. The most obvious effect of missing teeth is aesthetic. The way you look affects the way you feel, and the psychological and social consequences of tooth loss can also be profound.

However, tooth loss is not so much about teeth as it is about bone. Bone needs constant stimulation, which comes from the teeth themselves, to maintain its form and density. When a tooth is lost, the lack of stimulation causes lose of bone – its external width, then height, and ultimately bone volume. As bone loss proceeds over the next few years, the gum tissue also gradually decreases. This causes impaired ability to chew and to speak. The more teeth lost, the more function is lost.

What can be done to replace missing teeth and avoid debilitating bone loss?

Treatments to replace missing teeth can be performed. A better treatment option to replace a single missing tooth is a single-tooth implant. To replace multiple teeth, implants, a fixed bridge or even a removable partial denture can be used.

MOTHER’S DAY EDITION: PREGNANCY AND ORAL HEALTH

May 6, 2016

Mother’s Day is just around the corner! Here are some facts regarding pregnancy related oral issues which may occur. 

Pregnancy Gingivitis

Pregnancy gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums, causing swelling and tenderness, due to the changes in hormones. Gingivitis can become a more serious case of gum disease, so more frequent cleanings may be necessary during pregnancy. 

Increased Risk of Tooth Decay

Due to diet change or morning sickness, pregnant women’s tooth may be exposed to more risks of decay. At this time, it is critical that pregnant women maintain their routine schedule of brushing and flossing, building up their dental defense system against cavities.

Pregnancy Tumors

Pregnancy tumors are overgrowth of tissue in the gums that happen most frequently during the second trimester. It is simply swelling, and not cancer, that happens during pregnancy which may be due to excess plaque. They usually disappear after the baby is born. 

For more extensive information on pregnancy related oral health issues: http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/pregnancy/concerns