We all know how bad plaque is for your teeth. It's no new discovery. And plaque left to its own devices can be quite nasty. Cavities, gingivitis and gum disease are just a few conditions from neglecting the buildup. So what are the easiest ways to fight it?

First and foremost, choose toothpaste that has plaque preventing ingredients. Look for the ingredient Triclosan which is thought to fight plaque as long as 12 hours after you brush. And remember to brush at least twice a day.

If you drink red wine, green tea or cranberry juice regularly, good for you. All of these beverages contain polyphenols that are said to reduce plaque formation.

Use olive oil when you cook and also as a salad dressing. Olive oil contains oleuropein, which is an antibacterial compound that stops gram negative types of bacteria, which is the type that cause bone loss and gum disease, from attaching to teeth.

Chewing gums that contain Sorbitol or Xylitol, which are sugar substitutes, have the effect of reducing plaque. Xylitol can't be used by oral bacteria and they starve.

Floss regularly! Regardless of all the other things you can do to reduce plaque, you still need to get between your teeth.

And last but certainly not least, have your teeth cleaned regularly

Posted in Gum Disease, Headlines

Did you know there's somewhat of a wonder drug out there that can help prevent bone loss, improve your oral health and reduce your risk for a number of different cancers along with a slew of other chronic health problems? Oh yeah, tell me more. What's it called? What's it cost?

Well it's called sunshine and it's free, and very abundant here in Denver and Boulder. To elaborate, from the sunshine comes vitamin D. And if you'd like, you can also buy it in the supplement aisle at your local drug store. Vitamin D has quite a bit to do with your dental health and considering that almost 40% of Americans today are deficient, learning more about this hormone vitamin D is well worth the reading.

Not getting enough vitamin D plays two large roles in oral health. The first is jaw bone degeneration and the second is increased inflammation which is constantly linked to periodontal disease.

So get out in the sunshine or hit your local drugstore or vitamin shop for this important supplement. You can even get vitamin D from incorporating dairy or fish into your meals. However you get your vitamin D fix, just know that not only will your body thank you but your mouth will thank you as well.

Posted in Gum Disease, Headlines

Like drinking hot tea? Better not make it too hot. I study in Iran shows that those that repeatedly drink extremely hot tea are a high risk for esophageal cancer (throat cancer). For the people of the Golestan Province in Iran, only two beverages are highly consumed - water and tea. Hopefully when they drink water it is cold and refreshing but according to an article from ABC they drink their tea piping hot. In addition to piping hot tea, they also have a rather high throat cancer rate.

When studied, 300 out of 871 Golestan Province residents had throat cancer. Very hot tea, alcohol consumption and smoking tobacco were all factors taken into account but the British Medical Journal stated in the findings that drinking "very hot" tea increases the risk for esophageal cancer.

Cancer of the oesophagus, the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach, kills more than 500,000 people worldwide each year. So what is considered HOT when it comes to beverages? A temperature of 156 degrees is hot and also at this temperature, the rate of throat cancer supposedly doubles. Even worse, just two degrees higher at 158, the risk increases eight times!  Ouch! Next time you're enjoying a warm drink, take its temperature and see where your drink falls in on the hot meter.  

Posted in Gum Disease, Headlines

Hey It's Anastaisa with Hump Day Happenings!

You had to be living under a rock this week if you do not recognize the name Steve Slater, the Jet Blue flight attendant who jumps out of a plane with a beer in hand, cause he had a lot of stress going on at work and couldn't take it any more.

OK - I gotta tell you, cause I wouldn't do it, am I gonna find a strong enough floss that I'm going to throw it out my second story window and work and hope that I don't kill myself and maybe a book deal or reality show will come my way? Not so much.

So, what the lesson is to learn here is how stress can effect your health, especially your oral health. If you are experiencing headaches, jaw joint pain, a little tenderness when you wake up or even around your lips, if you have teeth sensitive to cold or even to biting, you could be welcomed into the grinding community.

Teeth grinders, that is. Teeth grinding is called bruxism in the dental community. What that means is that you may think you are handling your stress just fine, but take this test. Bite down and move your jaw from left to right. If your canine teeth match up, if they fit perfectly, you my friend are a grinder.

So what are you going to do about it? Know the risk factors. Risk factor #1 is stress. If you are living in a toxic environment, working in a difficult situation, financially struggling, maybe your relationships could be better, it's all stressful. If you take all that together, you are probably grinding your teeth, probably at night, and most likely for three to four hours.

Guess what? When you grind your teeth, you are applying 600 pounds of pressure per square inch on your teeth. Six hundred pounds! That's more than five of me. So that's like rockin the teeth in the sockets.

So go meet with your dentist or hygienist. We know what to give you. There's over the counter mouthguards that can protect your teeth. You have to start protecting your teeth - you've got to protect the structure! The other thing is a professional mouthguard. That material is so strong - I've seen people grind through it in four months! Can you imagine what that force would do to unprotected teeth?

So - know the risk factors. Know that there is help out there, whether it be a mouthguard situation for for you to reduce your stress, the point is protect your teeth from grinding so you can enjoy your life.

So till next week,  take what you've learned and make a difference with it.

Posted in Gum Disease, Headlines

Are you stressed? A strong link was found between stress and periodontal disease according to the Journal of Periodontology. 57% of their studies showed a relationship between psychological factors like stress, anxiety, depression and loneliness to periodontal diseases. The study recommends trying to minimize stress as much as possible in order to decrease the risk while more research is being done.

Cortisol, a hormone that comes into play with stress, is thought to be one factor in the connection with periodontal diseases. It is thought that increased levels of cortisol could lead to destruction of the gums and bone. And we all know that periodontal disease is a key player in ultimate tooth and bone loss if left untreated.

When stressed, people often increase bad habits without even realizing it, putting off exercise, eating poorly and even skipping their flossing because they don't think there is enough time. It happens to the best of us. But regular exercise, eating a well balanced diet, maintaining our oral hygiene and even getting enough sleep at night are key to fighting off many conditions in addition to periodontal disease.

More information on stress and it's link to periodontal disease can be found in the Online Journal of Periodontology.   

Posted in Gum Disease, Headlines