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DENTISTRY IS EXPENSIVE BUT NEGLECT, NOW THAT IS EXPENSIVE.

2012-02-26T14:01:12Z

Dentistry is expensive but neglect, now that is expensive.

Does that make sense to you?

DRINKS THAT EAT TEETH RESEARCHED SINCE 1999

2012-01-28T13:14:20Z

Drinks That Eat Teeth

(See also Toothpastes That Eat Teeth)

This is the most complete listing of drink contents on the internet, a project begun in 1999. if you have any data to share with us, or feel any listing here is incorrect, please contact me at KentSmith@21stCenturyDental.com

Well, not ALL drinks eat teeth (water is listed as a reference, but has a neutral pH of 7.0, so it does NOT eat teeth), but we have as many drinks listed here as possible, so you can make sure your favorite beverage is not one of the tooth-eaters! Demineralization, or loss of tooth material, begins at a pH of 5.5, although under certain conditions, may even start at a higher pH.
Missing data is unknown at this time

Drink	Acid (pH)	Sugar (teaspoons in 12oz.)	Caffeine (grams)	Calories (in 12 oz.)
Battery Acid	1.00	0	0	0
Stomach acid	2.00 (as low as 1.0 with projectile vomiting)	0	0	0
Lime Juice	2.00-2.35
Lemon juice	2.00-2.60
Cranberry Juice, canned	2.30-2.52
Vinegar	2.40-3.40
Sunny Delight	2.4	6.3	0	0
Gatorade Clear	2.4	5.5	0	0
Pepsi	2.49	9.8 (27 grams)	37	150
Country Time Lemonade	2.5	5.4	0	0
SoBe Sugarfree Tropical	2.5	0	0	0
RC Cola	2.50		43.2
Cherry Coke	2.52	8.9	34	0
Coke Classic	2.53	9.3 (27 grams)	34	140
SoBe Strawberry-Grape	2.6	6.5	0	0
Capri Sun	2.6	5.5	0	0
Orange Crush	2.7	10.5	0	0
Hi-C Blast Fruit Punch	2.7	5.5	0	0
Tang	2.7	5.1	0	0
HiC Lemonade	2.7	5.5	0	0
Extran	2.74		0	60
Powerade	2.75	15 grams	0	115
Orange Minute Maid	2.80	11.2 (48 grams)	0	180
Mellow Yellow	2.8	10.1	51	0
Diet Cherry Coke	2.8	0	34	0
Welch's White Grape	2.8	7.8	0	0
Mr. Pibb	2.8	0	40	0
Hawaiin Fruit Punch	2.82	10.2	0
Squirt	2.85	9.5
Lipton Brisk	2.87	7	9	0
Upside Down 7-Up	2.9	6.3	0	0
Grapefruit Juice, canned	2.90-3.25
Cranberry Juice, white	2.9	5.5	0	0
Dr Pepper	2.92	9.5 (40.5 grams)	40	160
Gatorade	2.95	5.5 (21 grams)	0	75
Nestea Sweetened Lemon Iced Tea	2.97	7	16.6	0
Grapefruit juice	3.00	35 grams	0	150
Diet Rite (white grape)	3.00	0	0	0
Grapefruit juice	3.00	7.4	0	150
Kool-Aid Jammers (cherry)	3.00	5.1	0	0
Sierra Mist	3.00	5.5	0	0
Surge	3.02	10	51	170
Nestea	3.04	5	11 to 26
Pepsi One	3.05	0	36	1.5
Vinegar, cider	3.10
Diet Code Red Mountain Dew	3.1	0	0	0
Pepsi Blue	3.1	5.7	0	0
V8 Splash Berry Blend	3.1	5.5	0	0
Vinegar, cider	3.1	0	0	0
Orange Slice	3.12	11.9
Dole (orange strawberry banana)	3.2	6.3	0	0
Fresca	3.2	0	0	0
Propel	3.2	0.4	0	0
Snapple Tea	3.2	7.6	31.5	0
Snapple Tea Diet	3.2	0	0	0
Twist Up	3.2	5.5	0	0
Fresca	3.20	0
Mountain Dew	3.22	11 (46 grams)	55	165
Grape Minute Maid	3.29	11.9	0
Pineapple Juice, canned	3.30-3.60
Orange Juice, Flordia	3.30-4.15
Orange Juice, California	3.30-4.19
Diet Mountain Dew	3.34	0	55
Sherry-wine	3.37
Diet Coke	3.39	0	45
Dole (pineapple juice)	3.4	5.7	0	0
Apple Juice	3.4	4.8	0	0
Diet Dr Pepper	3.41	0
Sprite	3.42	9	0	140
Plum Nectar	3.45
Ultima	3.50			15
Juicy Juice	3.5	4.6	0	0
Tea (iced)	3.5	0	70.6	0
Tropicana Sprite Remix	3.5	5.5	0	0
Sherry-wine	3.37
Diet 7UP	3.67	0	0
Cytomax	3.79			75
Accelerade	3.86	4.4	0	120
Enervit G	3.88	8.9	0	81
Powerbar Endurance	3.89	0	0	105
Vegetable Juice	3.90-4.30
Prune Juice	3.95-3.97
Dad's Root Beer	4	9.7	0
Pear Nectar	4.03	0	0
Milk, Acidophilus	4.09-4.25
Tomatoes, Juice	4.10-4.60
A&W Crème Soda	4.2	9.7	29
GU20	4.29			75
A&W Root Beer	4.3	0	0
Buttermilk	4.41-4.83
e load	4.50			216
Diet Barq's	4.55	0
Barq's	4.61	10.7	22
Emend	4.95
Milk, sour, fine curd	4.70-5.65
Emend	4.95	0	0
Milkfish	5.30
Guava Nectar	5.50
Brewed Coffee	5.51		203
Instant Coffee	5.51		143
Milk, evaporated	5.90-6.30
Alo Juice	6.00-6.80
Milk, condensed	6.33
Milk, Cow	6.40-6.80
Milk, Goat's	6.48
Chrysanthemum Drink	6.50
Coconut Milk	6.10-7.00
Milk, 2%	6.8	3.5	0
Milk, skim	6.8	3.5	0
Water	7.00	0	0	0
Soybean Milk	7.00
Milk, peptonized	7.10
Wax Gourd Drink	7.20
Tea (brewed)	7.2	0	70.6
Tea	7.20
7UP		9.3	0	140
A&W Crème Soda			29
A&W Diet Crème Soda			22
Kick			57
Mellow Yellow			51
Ocean Spray 100% Cranberry Juice		35 grams	0	180
Pepsi One			55
Schweppes Ginger Ale		22 grams
Skim Milk		11 grams
Starbucks Latte		9.5 grams
Snapple			4.5 to 31.5 (see NSDA website)
Sunkist Diet Orange			42
Sunkist Orange Soda		35 grams	41
TAB			45
Tropicana Orange Juice		22 grams
Honest Tea Peach Oo-la-long		4.5 (18 grams)		60
Milk		18 grams	0	180
Orangina		7.75 (31.5 grams)		135
Fizzy Lizzy Grape		29 grams	0	120
Jones Soda Co. Green Apple		11.5 (46 grams)		180
Sweet Leaf Raspberry Sweet Tea		6.375 (25.5 grams)		105
Spark Mandarin-Carrot Juice Drink		10.5 (42 grams)		180
Minute Maid Apple Juice		10 (39 grams)		165
Original Arizona Iced Tea		9 (36 grams)		135
The Switch Black Cherry		9 (36 grams)		180

Because the pH scale is logarithmic, a one unit change in pH is associated with a 10 fold change in the acidity. For example, lemon juice has a pH of 2.0, while grapefruit juice has a pH of 3.0. Lemon juice would therefore be 10x as acidic as grapefruit juice. Even more enlightening, Coke Classic is roughly 100 times as acidic as Barq's root beer.

NSDA

Missouri Dental Association's Stop The Pop

There is some useful information on acid erosion of teeth on both Dr. Richard Ehrlich's site and on Dr. Steve Hendry's site.

SODAS ERODE TOOTH ENAMEL

2012-01-25T12:45:03Z

images of soda cans.
CREDIT: morguefile.com

Root beer could be the safest soft drink for your teeth, new research suggests, but many other popular diet and sugared sodas are nearly as corrosive to dental enamel as battery acid.

Prolonged exposure to soft drinks can lead to significant enamel loss, even though many people consider soft drinks to be harmless or just worry about their sugar content and the potential for putting on pounds, the study says.

The erosive potential of colas is 10 times that of fruit juices in just the first three minutes of drinking, a study last year showed. The latest research, published in Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) journal General Dentistry, reports that drinking any type of soft drink hurts teeth due to the citric acid and/or phosphoric acid in the beverages.

Non-colas are less acidic than colas overall, the study found, but they erode the teeth more effectively than colas.

"This study simply doesn’t mirror reality," said American Beverage Association spokesperson Tracey Halliday. "The findings cannot be applied to real life situations where people's eating and drinking behaviors are very different and there are many factors at work.

The study measured the acidity, or pH, of 20 commercial soft drinks, including Coke, Pepsi, 7 Up and their diet versions, immediately after cans were opened. Then slices of enamel from freshly extracted teeth were weighed before and after being immersed in the soft drinks for 48 hours.

The result was that the teeth immersed in Coke, Pepsi, RC Cola, Squirt, Surge, 7 Up and Diet 7 Up lost more than 5 percent of their weight, according to the report by Poonam Jain of the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine and her colleagues. (Other sodas brought about losses in the enamel weight in the range of 1.6 percent to 5 percent).

AGD spokesman Kenton Ross said that RC Cola was found to be the most acidic soft drink studied, with a pH of 2.387 (the pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 for most liquids, with 0 being the most acidic and 14 being the least acidic—or most alkaline). Cherry Coke was found to be the next most acidic (pH of 2.522), and Coke was the third most acidic soda tested (pH of 2.525).

Battery acid has a pH of 1.0. Pure water at room temperature has a pH of 7.0.

The results show that a soda's acidity is not the whole story when it comes to tooth erosion. The type of acid in the soda, level of soda and calcium content are also factors. Citric acid is the most erosive acid found in soft drinks and is the predominant acid in non-cola drinks.

"The bottom line is that the acidity in all soft drinks is enough to damage your teeth and should be avoided," Ross said in a prepared statement.

This reported from www.livescience.com written by Robin Lloyd

Next blog will be on Sweet tea, sports and energy drinks.

TONGUE PIERCING & THE MOUTH

2012-01-25T03:46:41Z

Here is one of the best articles about piercing, specifically tongue piercing. Many would say that having a tongue pierced, indicates a pure rebel. Judge for yourself.

Here is a story of a girl having piercing done:

“I got it done when I was 14 (with an altered school id) and I am now 22... and it was sorta outdated even then... but I didn’t care. The other thing is it totally screws up your teeth and your teeth are importanntttttt. I ended up taking mine out when I was about 17... and my mom was nice enough to pay for me to have some cosmetic stuff done on my teeth (expensive)... so no more tongue rings for me. I hate the way it looks when teeth are chipped... and trust me... they'll get chipped even with a plastic barbell. Its not worth it... and they’re not even cool anymore (when I see girls with them I think they/re gross looking... like go back to the 90s and put your tongue back in your mouth stop showing off) I hate girls who stick out their tongues JUST to show off their tongue rings... although I did it too, but I have an excuse because I was a dumb teenaged girl... trust me... you’ll get sick of it fast.”

Tongue piercing can eventually destroy front and back teeth from the tongue bar continuously hitting or rubbing up against teeth. The bars eventually wear away the enamel on teeth, creating additional problems associated with teeth, including massive pain. Once the enamel is gone, the dentinal tubules (microscopic "holes" in the teeth) are exposed, which creates massive pain, on the same order of a massive toothache when a cavity is there. This in turn, will create the need for further dental care, which could include anything from crowns (caps) to partial dentures to implants.

The only pro, besides them looking nice, is that the mouth is one of the fastest healing parts of the body.

Here is some cool advice:

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), tongue piercing typically causes:

pain

inflammation

infection

greater saliva production

chipped or cracked teeth

Less common side effects include:

injury or shrinkage of gums

damage to teeth, fillings, and other dental work

difficulty chewing or swallowing

prolonged blood loss immediately after procedure

possibility of disease transmission

Modified from a post and full credit given to alphonsians93

Energy Drinks Bad For Teeth

2012-01-23T04:45:53Z

It’s a familiar story to think about the millions of people who wake up every morning and grab their regular cup of coffee to keep them going. It’s the usual morning routine for millions of Americans today and has been for a long time now. But these days those coffee drinkers are moving more and more away from that delicious morning cup of coffee and reaching for something much more harmful.

Energy drinks are slowly but surely replacing coffee as the number one pick me up across America. Patients are even beginning to cite more and more that the reason they choose energy drinks as their morning drink is because they mistakenly believe that the energy will be better for them than coffee or soda. But this is leading to a troubling trend in dentistry. Increasing numbers of patients are starting to see dentists for what is jokingly referred to as “Mountain Dew Mouth.” Some consumers may not realize the detrimental affects that energy drinks have on oral health.

For one thing energy drinks can be highly acidic. They typically contain acid levels that are at a high pH level which is devastating to tooth enamel. And tooth enamel isn’t the only thing to worry about with pH imbalance. The bacteria that our mouths naturally harbor usually can coincide with us peacefully. But when the pH balance in the mouth is altered this can throw off these bacteria and cause them to grow at a much more rapid pace. Essentially, if you’re not careful, energy drinks can turn mouths into a breeding ground for bacteria.

There’s another good reason why energy drinks are destroying the teeth of many patients. Many people don’t consider the sugar involved in an energy drink when they reach for one in the morning, often much to the demise of the person’s enamel. Sugar feeds the bacteria in our mouths and they produce acids. Those acids erode our enamel and rot our teeth.

The constant consumption of energy drinks can also come with the risk of bone loss. A recent study published by Food Science and Human Nutrition, researcher L.K. Massey and S.J. Whiting found that increased levels of caffeine intake will increase the amount of calcium that is excreted through urine. With the loss of calcium in the body patients run the risk of a calcium deficit. Calcium is crucial for the formation and maintenance of the bones. The lower the levels of calcium in the body, the more likely a person is to suffer bone loss and bone weakening, which leaves a person vulnerable to fractures and breaks. This vulnerability is not just limited to the bones under our skin. Teeth are also made of the same materials as the rest of our bones and without calcium they are just as vulnerable to decay and loss as everywhere else.

Not as well known is the fact that energy drinks can often dehydrate a person. Caffeine is a natural diuretic which will dehydrate the body, and energy drinks are often filled to the brim with sodium which can drain the body of fluids. These two things combined cause the energy drinks to actually make a person more thirsty than to quench their thirst. Dehydration is serious news when it comes to oral health. Dehydration can affect the pH balance of the mouth and will increase tooth decay, gum disease, and halitosis.

Energy drinks may be quick and easy to drink on the way to work in the morning and may taste delicious, but they’re not worth the risks to your teeth! Just one energy drink can make you susceptible to any one of the consequences outlined here.

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Jessica Harmon

ECONOMIC HARDSHIP TAKES TOLL ON TEETH

2011-12-21T10:58:42Z

ECONOMIC HARDSHIP TAKES TOLL ON TEETH

It is true that people postpone or forgo dental treatment in difficult economic times? According to one recent study of dental practitioners. the answer is "yes."

More than 90% of dentists surveyed said their patients are putting off needed dental work, due to the uncertainty of the employee work market.

The survey revealed that nearly 75% of dentists surveyed said their patients had reported increased stress in their lives, and the majority of dentists are seeing an increase in jaw clenching, and tooth grinding, and tooth breakage, which
are all causing to have a negative effect on the teeth.

Study conducted by dental Tribune

ORAL BACTERIA CAN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR INFECTION

2011-12-21T08:18:29Z

Dec 20, 2011 | USA

ORAL bacteria could be responsible for foodborne infection and heart in your blood vesels and arteries.

CLEVELAND, Ohio, USA: A discovery by researchers at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Cleveland could help to explain the origins of foodborne infections like the recent enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (E. coli) outbreak in Europe. Following years of research on Fusobacterium nucleatum, they found that the oral bacteria can break the bond of cells on the surface of blood vessels, thereby allowing other bacteria to enter the human body.

Like Streptococcus mutans, the main cause for dental decay, Fusobacterium nucleatum is a common bacterium found in the oral cavity. According to latest research, it is associated with periodontal inflammation, among other things. The researchers found that Fusobacterium nucleatum has a bonding agent that can cause lining cells on the surface of blood vessels to break apart through a cascade of biological signals.

"This cascade knocks out the guard on duty and allows the bacteria to enter the blood and travel like a bus loaded with riders throughout the system," Yiping W. Han, main researcher and CWRU professor of periodontics, said. "Whenever the F. mucleatum wants to get off the bus at the liver, brain, spleen, or another place, it does."

According to Han, the cell bond did not break apart in laboratory tests when E. coli bacteria alone were introduced. Instead, the E. coli bacteria were only able to penetrate the vessel surface following the application of F. nucleatum.

Han’s findings, which are presented in the latest issue of Molecular Microbiology, could help to not only explain the origins of different medical phenomena such as fetal death, but could also explain the outbreak of infections caused by harmful bacteria.

Recently, an outbreak involving a highly infectious strain of E. coli fond in claimed at least 53 lives in Germany and other parts of Europe, in the US from drinking tap water and using a Neti pot to clear the nose.

Republished form the Dental Tribune

WHAT IS A CRACKED TOOTH? WHAT CAUSES IT? THOSE SMALL CRACKS IN THE ENAMEL

2011-12-21T07:55:20Z

CRACKED TOOTH SYNDROME

What is Cracked Tooth Syndrome?
Cracked tooth syndrome is exactly what the name implies, a tooth with a crack. This phenomenon is not quite that simple however. Teeth can crack in all different ways, craze lines, fractured cusps, cracked tooth, split tooth or vertical root fracture. Craze lines involve the enamel. Fractured cusps, split tooth and cracked teeth start on the outside of the tooth and extend down the tooth involving enamel, dentin and possibly the nerve (pulp). People today are not only living longer, but are keeping their longer, because of this cracked teeth are becoming more common. The longer people keep their teeth the more likely they are to have necessary dental procedures (fillings, root canal therapy etc.) that leave the tooth more susceptible to cracking.

What Causes Teeth to Crack?
Teeth can develop fractures for a number of reasons. From repetitive chewing on your teeth, day after day, teeth may develop cracks. Each time you chew on your teeth they flex slightly from the chewing force. This flexing over time can cause teeth to develop fine cracks (stress fractures).

A history of clenching or grinding (bruxing) teeth can result in cracks.
Chewing on hard substances or foods such as ice, popcorn kernels or candy.
Trauma to the mouth such as a blow below the chin or lower jaw.
Large fillings and especially amalgam fillings,that are deep or that involve the contacts between teeth (inter proximal contacts), can weaken the teeth resulting in tooth fracture.
It has be suggested that bone loss associated with periodontal disease can predispose a tooth to root fracture because of decreased support.

This fracture extends from the back of the tooth over the tongue (lingual) side.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of a Cracked Tooth?

The patient has a hard time describing the problem.
A history of erratic pain upon chewing (shock or jolt), especially upon release of biting pressure (disclusion).
Discomfort with extreme temperatures, especially cold.
Perhaps there is a history of the dentist relieving the bite by grinding on the tooth because of off and on pain.
Dental X-rays tend not to show anything wrong with the tooth
Some patients complain of a soreness while chewing.
If the crack involves the root there may be a localized periodontal pocket or defect.
If the cracked extends to the nerve, there may be signs of irreversible inflammation (irreversible pulpitis) which will lead to pulpal death and ultimately an abscessed tooth.
Sweet sensitivity with a lack of detectable decay clinically or on an x-ray.
Often patients will give a history of other cracked teeth.

NOTE: Depending on the size and location and direction of the crack the patient may experience any combination of these symptoms or perhaps others, making the diagnosis a frustratingly difficult one!

Why do Cracked Teeth Hurt to Chew on?
Biting down on a tooth physically loads the tooth, stressing it, thus distorting its shape. This distortion disrupts the fluid within the crack. Upon release of biting pressure (disclusion) the fluid within the crack is driven towards the nerve chamber (pulp) eliciting pain. This phenomenon is unique to a crack and is a useful aid in diagnosis of the offending tooth.

Why Don't Cracks Show Up on a Dental X-Ray?Rarely will a crack in a tooth show up in an X-ray. This is because the X-ray beam must be parallel to the crack in order to penetrate it. In some cases however other radiographic signs of a crack can be found besides actually seeing the crack itself. In some cases of a vertical root fracture, if the crack has been present long enough, vertical bone loss paralleling the root can be seen.

What's the big deal, so what if my Tooth is Cracked?Left untreated cracked teeth can result in pulpal necrosis (death of the nerve), and abscess (infection) requiring root canal treatment or extraction. In severe cases the tooth can actually split in two resulting in an non fixable tooth requiring removal.

How are Cracked Teeth Fixed and Why?The good news is that most cracked teeth can be retained long term, it should be noted however that a cracked tooth is a compromised tooth even with the proper treatment.

The key factor is to find the crack early on in its development.

If caught early enough, with the proper treatment, cracks can be halted or at least slowed down allowing the tooth to retained long term. If allowed to progress untreated, a cracked tooth depending on the direction of the crack, may become hopeless requiring removal.

The treatment of a cracked tooth involves removing the affected cusp and placing a crown (cap) on the tooth to hold the tooth together preventing the crack from progressing. In cases where the crack involves the nerve chamber or has caused irreversible inflammation of the nerve, root canal treatment will be necessary prior to crown placement.

What can I do to Prevent Cracked Teeth?

If you are a clencher or bruxer (grinder) of your teeth particularly at night time, then have a night guard (bruxing appliance made) to protect your teeth.
Do not chew on hard objects such as ice, hard candy (jaw breakers etc.) or pop corn kernels.
Wear protective mouth guards when participating in contact sports to protect your teeth.

It should be noted that even with these precautions teeth may develop stress fractures just from every day use over time.
Credit given to:

Bribie Dental
Bribie Island Shopping Centre
PH: (07) 3408 2488
FAX: (07) 3408 4088
EMAIL: enquiries@bribiedental.com.au

Seven Things Your Teeth Say About Your Health

2010-11-25T22:02:00Z

Full Credit given to:

By Paula Spencer, Caring.com
Mon, Nov 01, 2010

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Some messages coming out of your mouth bypass the vocal chords. Turns out that your teeth, gums, and surrounding tissues also have plenty to say -- about your overall health.

"Your mouth is connected to the rest of your body," says Anthony Iacopino, dean of the University of Manitoba Faculty of Dentistry and a spokesperson for the American Dental Association. "What we see in the mouth can have a significant effect on other organ systems and processes in the body. And the reverse is also true: Things that are going on systemically in the body can manifest in the mouth."

Dental warning #1: Flat, worn teeth plus headache

Sign of: Big-time stress

Many people are surprised to learn they're tooth-grinders. After all, they do this in their sleep, when they're not aware of it. And they underestimate the physical toll that stress can place on the body. "Crunching and grinding the teeth at night during sleep is a common sign of emotional or psychological stress," says Iacopino.

You can sometimes see the flatness on your own teeth, or feel it with the tongue. Or the jaw may ache from the clenching.

What else to look for: Headaches, which are caused by spasms in the muscles doing the grinding. Sometimes the pain can radiate from the mouth and head down to the neck and upper back, Iacopino says. Mouth guards used at night can relieve the symptoms and protect teeth.

Dental warning #2: Cracking, crumbling teeth

Sign of: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Older adults, especially, are vulnerable to teeth that appear to be cracking or crumbling away. The enamel becomes thin and almost translucent. But this erosion isn't a normal consequence of aging. In fact, it can happen at any age.

Disintegrating teeth are usually caused by acid that's coming up from the stomach and dissolving them, Iacopino says. The cause: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD, also called acid reflux disease). GERD causes stomach acid to back up into the esophagus -- and from there, it's a short distance to the mouth for some of the damaging acid. GERD is a chronic disorder caused by damage or other changes to the natural barrier between the stomach and the esophagus.

What else to look for: Dry mouth and heartburn are related GERD symptoms. (But in an older adult in someone else's care -- in a nursing home, for example -- these complaints may go unreported.) Cracking or chipping teeth in a younger person is also a telltale sign of bulimia, the eating disorder in which the sufferer causes herself (or himself) to vomit before digesting. Same net result: Stomach acid washes up into the mouth, over time disintegrating the tooth enamel.

Dental warning #3: Sores that won't go away

Sign of: Oral cancer

Many people bite the insides of their mouth as a nervous habit. Others sometimes bite the gum accidentally, creating a sore. But when an open sore in the mouth doesn't go away within a week or two, it always warrants showing to a dentist or doctor. "We all injure our oral tissues, but if an area persists in being white or red rather than the normal healthy pink, this needs to be evaluated to rule out oral cancer," says Susan Hyde, an associate professor of clinical dentistry at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Dentistry.

More than 21,000 men and 9,000 women a year are diagnosed with oral cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute. Most are over age 60. Oral cancer has a survival rate of only 35 percent, Iacopino says, but this is mainly because cases are often detected too late. Smokers are six times more likely to develop oral cancer, but one in four oral cancers develop in non-smokers.

What else to look for: Suspicious oral ulcers tend to be raised sores and often have red or white (or red and white) borders. They may lurk underneath the tongue, where they're hard to see. Bleeding and numbness are other signs, but sometimes the only sign is a sore that doesn't seem to go away. A biopsy usually follows a visual check.

Dental warning #4: Gums growing over teeth

Sign of: Medication problems

If you notice your gum literally growing over your tooth, and you're taking a medication for heart disease or seizures or you take drugs to suppress your immune system (such as before a transplant), it's well worth mentioning this curious development to your prescribing doctor.

"A swelling of the gums to where it grows over the teeth is a sign the dosage or the medication need to be adjusted," the ADA's Anthony Iacopino says. Certain drugs can stimulate the growth of gum tissue. This can make it hard to brush and floss, inviting tooth decay and periodontal disease.

What else to look for: The overgrowth can cause an uncomfortable sensation. In extreme cases, the entire tooth can be covered.

Dental warning #5: Dry mouth

Sign of: Sjogren's syndrome, diabetes

Many things can cause dry mouth, from dehydration and allergies to smoking and new medications. (In fact, hundreds of drugs list dry mouth as a side effect, including those to treat depression and incontinence, muscle relaxants, antianxiety agents, and antihistamines.) But a lack of sufficient saliva is also an early warning of two autoimmune diseases unrelated to medicine use: Sjogren's syndrome and diabetes.

In Sjogren's, the white blood cells of the body attack their moisture-producing glands, for unknown reasons. Four million Americans have Sjogren's, 90 percent of them women. Twenty-four million people in the U.S. have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, a metabolic disease caused by high blood sugar.

What else to look for: Other signs of diabetes include excessive thirst, tingling in the hands and feet, frequent urination, blurred vision, and weight loss. In Sjogren's, the eyes are dry as well as the mouth, but the entire body is affected by the disorder. Because its symptoms mimic other diseases (such as diabetes), people are often misdiagnosed and go several years before being properly diagnosed.

Dental warning #6: White webbing inside cheeks

Sign of: Lichen planus

The last thing you might expect to discover while brushing your teeth is a skin disease. But it happens. Lichen planus, whose cause is unknown, is a mild disorder that tends to strike both men and women ages 30 to 70. The mucus membranes in the mouth are often a first target.

Oral lichen planus looks like a whitish, lacy pattern on the insides of the cheeks. (The name comes from the same roots as tree lichen, a lichen that has a similar webbed, bumpy appearance.) Seventy percent of lesions appear in the mouth before they strike other parts of the body, says professor Anthony Iacopino.

What else to look for: Another common area where a lichen planus rash may appear is the vagina. Lichen planus often goes away on its own, but sometimes treatment is necessary.

Dental warning #7: Crusting dentures

Sign of: Potential aspiration pneumonia

Most people don't connect dentures (false teeth) with pneumonia, other than to think they're both words that often refer to the world of the elderly. And yet the two have a potentially deadly connection. "A leading cause of death in older people is aspiration pneumonia, often from inhaling debris around the teeth and dentures," Iacopino says.

In aspiration pneumonia, foreign material is breathed into the lungs and airway, causing dangerous (even fatal) inflammation. Too often, the problem stems from people in the care of others -- those in nursing homes, for example -- who fail to clean dentures properly. Dentures need to be removed daily from the mouth, cleaned with a special brush, and stored in a cleansing solution.

What else to look for: A soft, crusty material developing around dentures. With proper cleaning, though, you don't have to worry about other red flags. "It's amazing. You can get a 100-percent reduction in what's otherwise a leading cause of death for denture wearers," Iacopino says.

Many other conditions present in the mouth may be indicative of diseases such as HIV, diabetes, blood disorders, liver and kidney problems,

Full Credit given to:

7 Things Your Teeth Say About Your Health

By Paula Spencer, Caring.com

YIKES! MY TEETH ARE STAINED AND LOOK DARKER WHAT CAN I DO?

2010-07-11T03:40:00Z

Yikes! My teeth look stained and look darker. What can I do?

White, sparkling teeth are an outward sign of health and cleanliness. Unfortunately, even those who have perfect dental hygiene can have teeth that look discolored, due to coffee, wine, chocolate, dark protein drinks, smoking, dark juices, and tea stains. Are there any safe, effective ways to remove these stains from your teeth at home, thus improving your self-image, confidence, and smile? Yes, but it is not a guarantee or 100% effective especially if you continuously use coffee, wine, chocolate, dark protein drinks, smoking, dark juices, and tea and do not brush soon after ingesting.

The first, and possibly the safest, method for lifting stains from teeth at home is to brush them with baking soda, possibly mixed with a little hydrogen peroxide at most once a week with a soft toothbrush. It sounds odd, but baking soda is incredibly powerful, breaking up the stains in each tooth at a molecular level and scrubbing them away. It also polishes the surface of teeth, leaving them shiny and bright, and neutralizes bacteria and odors. What's more, baking soda is very safe, and it won't wear away protective enamel unless you use it every day and/or use a hard toothbrush, have gum recession. So brush for a longer period of time gently with a soft brush. The latest studied recommendation is two full minutes.

To brush with baking soda, simply wet your toothbrush and lightly dip the brush into a new box of baking soda or make a paste mixture of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. When the bristles have a light coating of powder, brush gently in very small circles! As you brush, make sure you reach every available surface of your teeth AND GUMS, and brush for at least two minutes to make sure the baking soda reaches every little space. It won't taste very good, but the strong salty flavor is worth it for the results you'll get unless the stain especially smoke has permeated the enamel of the teeth. Only use this at most once a week because it can cause grooves in your teeth because it is abrasive. Adding hydrogen peroxide and making a mixture which also works. This is not 100% remedy especially if you continue to regularly use the mentioned items.

Another good way to remove stains is to bleach them out of the teeth if the teeth are clean and the stain has not permeated the enamel. Bleaching has been studied and reported as safe but can cause tooth sensitivity. There are many options out there if you want to bleach your teeth. An easy household method is to simply rinse your mouth with peroxide once a week or so, which will brighten teeth without weakening the enamel.

Over-the-counter whitening strips are another way to bleach teeth. Whitening strips are strips of plastic coated in bleaching gel, which you press to the surface of your teeth and leave in place for fifteen to thirty minutes at a time. These strips are not as effective as custom dentist-made bleaching trays and patients report the strips taste bad and slip around have mixed results, depending on how badly stained the teeth are. They only cover a few teeth so they end up being more expensive in the long run than custom made clear trays from moulds of your teeth.

The dentist-dispensed bleach comes in different strengths up to 35% where the patient wears the trays for half an hour. This is a big change from the old days of bleaching and much more convenient than the old way of sleeping with the trays in. Prices within the dental profession range from free with other services to $675+. Use of the Zoom technique brings the price up and quite frankly in my own personal experience I found it overpriced and still have to wear the trays anyway. Some people love it. That just was not my experience and my teeth became extremely sensitive. Ask first before deciding. Your teeth should have been recently cleaned by a professional for the results to be effective.

Again, if coffee, wine, chocolate, dark protein drinks, smoking, dark juices, and tea continue to be used and brushing does not occur after use, disappointment and discouragement may result. To help remove stains and prevent new stains from forming, brush your teeth soon after you have finished your cup of to coffee, wine, chocolate, dark protein drinks, dark juice, or smoking. If you have no access to a sink or time to brush your teeth after every use, at least swish a few sips of water around your mouth or chew some sugarless gum. This will help wash away residue. Always use a soft brush and make gentle circles bushing your gums as well. The suggested time is at least two minutes, one on the top and one on the bottom....and do not forget the back inside.

Finally, I would like to briefly address a few myths related to removing stains from teeth. There's a lot of information circulating about rubbing strawberries on your teeth, or rinsing with lemon juice, to make your teeth whiter. Do not try these techniques, because not only do they not work, they can be harmful. The acidity in strawberries and lemon juice can wear away enamel, and worn enamel not only holds on to bacteria longer and becomes discolored faster, but causes tooth sensitivity and makes teeth more susceptible to cavities.

You are now armed with all the information you need to be on your way to a bright, beautiful, confident smile if you are willing to do the work and not be obsessive in your use of coffee, wine, chocolate, dark protein drinks, dark juices, tea, or smoking (this includes both tobacco and marijuana.) J

Substantially modified but full credit for original given to Rhea Wood from online article.

How do I know if I have gum (periodontal disease)

2010-06-06T03:15:04Z

Signs and symptoms

Bad breath known as "perio breath"

A coating on your teeth

Welcome

2010-03-29T03:30:54Z

Welcome to my blog. Please check back soon for new entries.

BLOG.DRDEVRY.COM

DENTISTRY IS EXPENSIVE BUT NEGLECT, NOW THAT IS EXPENSIVE.

DRINKS THAT EAT TEETH RESEARCHED SINCE 1999

Drinks That Eat Teeth

(See also Toothpastes That Eat Teeth)

Drink

Acid (pH)

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SODAS ERODE TOOTH ENAMEL

TONGUE PIERCING & THE MOUTH

Energy Drinks Bad For Teeth

ECONOMIC HARDSHIP TAKES TOLL ON TEETH

ORAL BACTERIA CAN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR INFECTION

Dec 20, 2011 | USA

ORAL bacteria could be responsible for foodborne infection and heart in your blood vesels and arteries.

WHAT IS A CRACKED TOOTH? WHAT CAUSES IT? THOSE SMALL CRACKS IN THE ENAMEL

Seven Things Your Teeth Say About Your Health

Full Credit given to:

Drug Search

Dental warning #1: Flat, worn teeth plus headache

Dental warning #2: Cracking, crumbling teeth

Dental warning #3: Sores that won't go away

Dental warning #4: Gums growing over teeth

Dental warning #5: Dry mouth

Dental warning #6: White webbing inside cheeks

Dental warning #7: Crusting dentures

Full Credit given to:

7 Things Your Teeth Say About Your Health

YIKES! MY TEETH ARE STAINED AND LOOK DARKER WHAT CAN I DO?

How do I know if I have gum (periodontal disease)

Welcome

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(teaspoons in 12oz.)

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(grams)