Tooth Decay May Limit a Child’s Growth
Tooth decay ranks as the leading chronic disease among school-aged children in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From a young age, tooth decay can cause serious problems with a child’s long-term oral health. When decay causes teeth to fall out too soon in younger children, the resulting gap in a child’s smile can cause the development of over-crowded and crooked teeth when they reach adolescence. For school-aged children suffering from the affects of decay, the resulting discomfort they experience can cause them problems in school. Studies have found that kids who suffer from untreated decay perform more poorly in school when compared to children with healthy teeth. Researchers attribute this discrepancy to the amount of time a child misses school due to the pain caused by untreated decay and an inability to concentrate when in school due to oral discomfort. Now a new study suggests the affects of tooth decay may be even worse than previously imagined. According to researchers at University College London and the King Fahad Armed Forces in Saudi Arabia, tooth decay may also prohibit growth in children. The study was published online in the children’s health journal Pediatrics. A Troubling Discovery Researchers began their study in an effort to determine the relationship between growth and oral health after previous studies had failed to show any correlation one way or the other. To determine whether a connection did exist, researchers looked at the data of dental decay and the correlation between weight and height in children living in Saudi Arabia between the ages of 6 to 8. The children examined in the study had their oral health graded on the DMFT scale, which determines the level of decayed, missing or filled teeth a child suffers from. Researchers examined the available data and determined that a relationship between low weight/height and an increased number of cavities did indeed exist. Children who suffered from severe cases of decay had a higher chance of being shorter and underweight when compared to kids with little decay. Even when researchers examined secondary factors, such as social values and demographics, that are known to limit growth, the correlation between stunted growth and decay still remained. Based on this research, it’s fair to say that an inverse relationship between tooth decay and growth exists in children. However, further research is needed to confirm these findings. Treating Decay Key Considering the findings of this study, it’s clear that protecting child’s oral health should remain a top priority for parents. Like adults, children need to brush and floss daily to lower their risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Children also need to regularly visit Dr. Nelson to ensure any signs of decay are spotted early on when the condition is the most treatable. If you have any questions about the best oral health practices for kids, feel free to ask Vancouver, WA family dentist Dr. Nelson or any member of our team at Salmon Creek Family Dental during your next appointment.
Better Oral Health Can Help Manage Diabetes
If you suffer from diabetes, managing your blood sugar levels isn’t the only thing you’ll need to work harder at in order to stay healthy. As your family dentist in Vancouver, Dr. Nelson wants individuals with diabetes also have a higher risk of suffering from oral health problems due to the disease’s ability to impact how effectively your body fights harmful bacteria that grows in the mouth known as plaque. High blood sugar levels in the body encourage the growth of plaque, which can eventually lead to gum disease if left to thrive on your teeth and gums. You may already suffer from gum disease if you have: Red, bleeding, swollen, or sore gums, or gums that have begun recede away from the base of your teeth. Chronic bad breath Loose teeth Ill-fitting dentures or an irregular bite Fortunately, individuals with diabetes can still successfully manage their oral health by taking a few extra precautions. Control Your Diabetes Gingivitis and diabetes feed off each another to make both diseases worse for diabetics who don’t have their condition under control. Poorly controlled blood sugar levels increase your risk of developing oral health conditions such as tooth loss, dry mouth, gum disease, and fungal infections like thrush. Gum disease, such as gingivitis or the more serious periodontitis, and thrush can lead to an oral infection. Diabetics with an infection have an even harder time controlling their blood sugar levels, which in turn makes them more likely to develop an oral infection. To keep your mouth healthy and prevent infections, you need to have your diabetes under control. Schedule Regular Dental Visits Since individuals with diabetes have a higher likelihood of developing an oral infection, you need to schedule regular appointments with Vancouver dentist, Dr. Dale Nelson. Make sure to inform Dr. Nelson of your diabetes, and tell him of any medications you take to help control the disease. In addition to providing oral health cleanings that help to protect and strengthen your teeth, Dr. Nelson can also provide you with tips on how to properly care for your teeth at home as a diabetic. Depending on the current state of your oral health, Dr. Nelson recommend scheduling appointments every three months, instead of the usual six. Practice Quality Oral Hygiene As mentioned previously, high blood sugar levels encourage the growth of plaque in the mouth. The more plaque your mouth contains, the more acid this bacteria can create whenever you eat or drink sugary liquids. This acid slowly eats away at your teeth’s enamel, eventually causing gum disease and tooth decay. Since your mouth already creates more plaque naturally, you need to pay close attention to maintaining and practicing quality oral hygiene. This means brushing at least twice a day for two minutes at a time, and flossing daily. You should also consider adding an anti-bacterial mouthwash as part of your nightly oral hygiene routine. While a matter of personal preference on the type of brush used, studies have shown that electric and sonic toothbrushes help to clean more plaque from teeth than traditional handheld brushes. Individuals with uncontrolled diabetes may want to consider the use of an electric or sonic toothbrush to help combat the additional plaque their mouths creates.
Tooth Loss a Potential Early Warning for Heart Disease
For adults, losing teeth may represent the beginning of a variety of future health challenges. According to a new international study, adult tooth loss has links to a number of known risk factors for heart disease- including smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes- and could serve as an early warning for individuals to take their heart health more seriously. While tooth loss may only seem like a problem for the elderly, tooth loss can actually happen at any age. In the U.S., the average person between the ages of 20 to 34 has roughly 27 permanent teeth; a complete set of adult teeth includes 32 teeth. Not surprisingly, however, as people age, the number of permanent teeth they have remaining tends to decrease; those between the ages of 35 and 49 have an average of 25 teeth remaining, while those 50 to 64 have roughly 22. Of seniors 65 and older, 25 percent have lost all of their remaining permanent teeth. Here at your best choice for Vancouver Washington dentist, Salmon Creek Family Dental, Dr. Nelson wants to make sure you have all the info about the connections. A Troubling Sign As part of the study, researchers from Sweden’s Uppsala University examined the medical records of 16,000 people from 39 countries who completed surveys on their remaining number of teeth and how frequently they experienced bleeding gums. Roughly 40 percent of the study’s participants had less than 15 teeth and 16 percent had no remaining teeth; 25 percent reported experiencing bleeding gums. Researches found a direct correlation between the fewer number of teeth a person had and an increase in the number of harmful enzymes that help to cause inflammation and the hardening of arteries. Researchers also noted that in addition to having fewer teeth, study participants tended to show an increase in other markers for heart disease, including levels of LDL cholesterol and elevated blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight gain. Participant who had fewer teeth were also more likely to suffer from diabetes, with a person’s risk increasing 11 percent for every significant reduction in the number of teeth they had remaining. Additionally, the study found that individuals who were either a former or current smoker also had an increased risk of tooth loss, and participants who suffered from bleeding gums had a higher risk of suffering from high blood pressure or cholesterol. The Heart & Mouth Connection For over 100 years, dentists and cardiologists have long suspected a connection between heart disease and oral health. While proponents of the most prominent theories linking the two have yet to find any substantial corroborative evidence, a consensus in the medical community is that more research is needed. The two most prominent theories on how a person’s oral health can affect his or her heart health include: Inflammation caused by gum disease can spread throughout the body, and cause inflammation to occur in other regions, including the heart. This inflammation can cause a narrowing of arteries, which increase a person’s risk of heart attack. Dental plaque, a primary cause of oral heath problems such as tooth loss, enters the blood stream through bleeding gums where it eventually makes it way to the heart. Once there, the dental plaque contributes to the buildup of arterial plaque, which can also cause a narrowing of the arteries and increase the risk of heart attack. Until more conclusive evidence is collected, researcher continue to recommended that adults work to take better care of their oral health in order to help reduce their risk of heart disease. If brushing wasn’t already important enough, this study provides just one more reason why taking care of your teeth and gums should also remain a top priority.