Poor Posture Could be Causing Your Headaches & TMJ/Jaw Pain

If you experience frequent headaches and pain in your lower jaw, check your posture and consult your dentist about temporomandibular disorder (TMD), recommends the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), an organization of general dentists dedicated to continuing dental education.

Poor posture places the spine in a position that causes stress to the jaw joint. When people slouch or hunch over, the lower jaw shifts forward, causing the upper and lower teeth to not fit together properly, and the skull moves back on the spinal column.  This movement puts stress on muscles, joints and bones and, if left untreated, can create pain and inflammation in muscles and joints when the mouth opens and closes.  "Good posture is important, yet many people don't realize how posture affects their oral health," says AGD spokesperson Ludwig Leibsohn, DDS.  Dr. Leibsohn treats patients who have complained of facial pain. "Their posture often is unbalanced, and this rearranges the position of the facial muscles, causing the bumps and grooves on the upper and lower teeth not to fit properly together," said Dr. Leibsohn.  An oral appliance can help align the teeth in a position that will reduce facial pain caused by poor posture. The appliance can also prevent future damage to teeth.

knowyourteeth.com

Is there Danger Lurking in your Lipstick?

A soft pink, a glowing red, even a cyanotic purple — millions of women and girls apply lipstick every day. And not just once: some style-conscious users touch up their color more than 20 times a day, according to a recent study. But are they also exposing themselves to toxic metals?

Most lipsticks contain at least a trace of lead, researchers have shown. But a new study finds a wide range of brands contain as many as eight other metals, from cadmium to aluminum. Now experts are raising questions about what happens if these metals are swallowed or otherwise absorbed on a daily basis.  The issue first came to public attention in 2007 with a report on lead contamination in lipsticks, “A Poison Kiss,” by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. The Food and Drug Administration published an extensive follow-up in 2011, finding traces of lead in 400 lipsticks.“It matters because this is a chronic long-term issue, not a short-term exposure,” said Katharine Hammond, a professor of environmental health sciences at the University of California at Berkeley and the lead author of the new analysis. “We’re not saying that anyone needs to panic. We’re saying let’s not be complacent, that these are metals known to affect health.”

Both the F.D.A. and the cosmetics industry insist that the average lead level found, just above 1 parts per million, or p.p.m., poses no real or unusual health risk. “Metals are ubiquitous,” said Linda Loretz, chief toxicologist for the Personal Care Products Council, an industry association. “And this is a very small amount, too small to be a safety issue.”

But lead tends to accumulate in the body, noted Dr. Sean Palfrey, medical director of the lead poisoning prevention program at Boston University Medical Center. The F.D.A. itself sets a 0.1 p.p.m. safety standard for lead in candy intended for young children. “Not to mention that the C.D.C. acknowledged last year that no level of lead is really safe,” Dr. Palfrey said.

And lead may not be the only concern. Dr. Hammond’s new study, published in May in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, found traces of cadmium, cobalt, aluminum, titanium, manganese, chromium, copper and nickel in 24 lip glosses and eight lipstick brands. The researchers picked the products because they were favored by teenagers at a community health center in Oakland, Calif. The girls reported reapplying lipsticks or glosses as often as 24 times a day.

Aluminum, chromium and manganese registered the highest concentrations over all, Dr. Hammond and her colleagues found. The average concentration of aluminum in the lip products, for instance, topped 5,000 p.p.m.; concentrations of lead averaged 0.359 p.p.m.

Aluminum is added to lipsticks as a stabilizer, said Ms. Loretz: “It keeps colors from bleeding.” Titanium oxide is used as a whitening agent, softening reds into pinks. Both uses are approved by the F.D.A. But all of the other metals noted by Dr. Hammond are probably unwanted contaminants, Ms. Loretz said.

For example, manufacturers often use glittery, microscopic flakes of mica, a naturally occurring mineral formation, to add shine to lip gloss. Mica routinely contains such metals as lead, manganese, chromium and aluminum. And there is some indication that more intense lipstick colors may carry a bigger metallic load because of contamination in pigments.

In the F.D.A.’s 2011 analysis, the highest lead reading was found in a deep floral pink lipstick and the lowest in a neutral lip balm. A European study found that brown lipstick tended to be highest in lead, while researchers in Saudi Arabia reported that dark colors averaged 8.9 p.p.m. of lead, compared with 0.37 p.p.m. in light-colored lipsticks.

Still, there remains a wide range of metal concentrations across colors and brands. To Dr. Palfrey, this suggests that cosmetic companies are able to control metal content when they choose. “It shouldn’t be a huge step for manufacturers to take out trace amounts of metals in a situation where they don’t know and we don’t know what’s safe for people who use them,” he said.

Some metals are undoubtedly absorbed through mucosal tissues in the mouth, Dr. Palfrey added. And people do swallow lipstick, one reason that it’s so often reapplied. Given the continued debate about how much is absorbed, everyone — including the cosmetics industry — is pushing the F.D.A. to study the issue further.

In the meantime, Dr. Hammond recommends that consumers take a common-sense approach to cosmetics. For starters, don’t let young children play with lipstick.

“Treat it like something dangerous, because if they eat it we are taking about a comparatively large level of metals going into a small body,” she said.

And be cautious about how often you reapply that shimmering color, Dr. Hammond added. Given the uncertainties, two or three times a day is all that beauty can reasonably demand.

 

well.blogs.nytimes.com

The 2-Minute Habit that may Prevent Alzheimer's

Taking great care of your teeth—with daily brushing and flossing—may dramatically cut risk for Alzheimer’s disease, according to surprising new research.

British scientists report finding signs of gum-disease bacteria in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. The new study adds to a rapidly growing body of evidence strongly linking periodontal (gum) disease to greatly increased risk for the memory-robbing disorder.

Byproducts of this bacterium, known as Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis),were found in brain samples of four out of ten Alzheimer’s patients, but not in samples from ten people of similar age without dementia, according to the study published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Gum Inflammation Multiplies Alzheimer’s Risk

P. gingivalis is commonly found in people with chronic periodontal (gum) disease, and can enter the bloodstream through such everyday activities as eating, brushing, and invasive dental treatments, and from there, potentially travel to the brain.

That’s scary considering that periodontal disease—a chronic inflammatory disease of the gums and bones supporting the teeth—affects nearly 50 percent of American adults over age 30, and 70 percent of those age 65 or older, the American Academy of Periodontology reports.

In a 2010 study involving 152 people, NYU dental researchers linked inflamed gums to greatly increased risk for cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer’s.  The study compared mental function at ages 50 and 70 and found that people with gum inflammation were nine times more likely to score in the lowest category of mental function than those with little or no inflammation.

The link held true even when such risk factors as smoking, obesity, and tooth loss unrelated to gum disease were taken into account. The association was also seen in people who already had impaired cognitive function at age 50: gum disease made things get even worse.

How do oral bacteria harm the brain?

The new British study discussed above adds to a 2012 study in which 158 cognitively normal people were checked for antibodies to gum-disease bacteria in their blood (indicating exposure to these bugs).

People with the antibodies were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or cognitive impairment in later years than were people without the antibodies, suggesting that “periodontal disease could potentially contribute to AD onset/progression,” the researchers concluded.

What’s the link between oral bacteria and memory loss? “One theory is that these pathogens may generate inflammation in brain cells involved in Alzheimer’s, such as the glial cells,” says Bradley Bale, MD, medical director of the Heart Health Program at Grace Clinic in Lubbock, Texas.

“One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease is activated glial cells, with high levels of inflammatory molecules that lead to nerve cell damage and destruction,” adds Dr. Bale.

Keeping Your Mouth Healthy Reduces Dementia Risk

A toothbrush can be a powerful weapon against Alzheimer’s, a 2012 studysuggests. California researchers tracked 5,468 seniors over an 18-year period and found that those who didn’t brush daily were up to 65 percent more likely to develop dementia than those who brushed three times a day.

To keep your teeth—and possibly your brain—in excellent health, follow these tips from Dr. Bale:

• Brush at least twice a day, in the morning and at bedtime. Dr. Bale recommends using an electronic toothbrush for two minutes and fluoride toothpaste. 
• Be sure to brush both the back and front of each tooth, along with your gums and tongue.
• Floss at least once a day, being sure to wrap the floss around each tooth to remove debris and bacteria. An oral irrigator, such as Waterpik, can also be helpful for cleaning between the teeth.
• Know the symptoms of gum disease and alert your dentist if you have any of them. The leading warning sign is bleeding when you brush or floss. Others include red, puffy or tender gums, loose teeth, pus between your gums and teeth, and a change in your bite (how your teeth fit together), any of which should warrant a prompt dental checkup.
• Visit your dentist at least twice a year for a checkup and professional cleaning.  Even if you don’t have any symptoms of gum disease, the checkup should include measuring the pockets between your teeth, which is done painlessly with a dental probe. In the early stages, gum disease may not cause any obvious symptoms.
• Avoid smoking, which greatly increases risk for gum disease.

 

health.yahoo.net

Oral DNA Testing in the Treatment of Periodontal Disease  

Dawnie L. Kildoo, D.D.S., M.A.G.D., Legacy Smiles of Southern Arizona

As the leading cause of adult tooth loss, periodontal disease requires targeted and effective treatment in order to halt the progression of disease and preserve oral health. Periodontal disease (gum disease) is a bacterial infection which causes damage to the gums and loss of bone surrounding the teeth. Gum disease begins with no symptoms or pain, and progresses over time, destroying more and more tissue. Gum tissue recedes and becomes swollen and reddened. Periodontal disease causes loose teeth in adults. Gum disease treatment becomes more difficult as the disease becomes more advanced. For this reason, early detection of the presence of destructive bacterial is extremely important.

Periodontal health has been linked to overall health. In recent years, medical research has suggested a link between periodontal disease and systemic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke. If periodontal disease is directly linked to these serious health conditions, then it makes sense to use a tool which can help identify your genetic susceptibility to periodontal disease as well as test for the presence of destructive bacteria in your mouth.

My Perio Path® is a simple, painless test which identifies and measures certain bacteria present in your mouth. This test provides a method of early detection of gum disease which allows for intervention even before symptoms occur. In cases where gingivitis (early stage gum disease) and periodontal disease have been diagnosed, the test also helps identify destructive bacteria, which makes it possible to target gum disease treatment more effectively. Additionally, a second test, My Perio ID® PST®, determines your genetic predisposition to develop a more serious gum infection, such as inflammatory periodontal disease.

Dr. Dawnie Kildoo strongly believes in early detection of periodontal infection. This is why she recommends the My Perio Path® test as a part of your routine dental check-up. It is recommended to have this test in advance of certain dental treatments, such as dental implants. Testing for bacteria which could cause periodontal disease around a dental implant is an important step in planning for dental implant success. The failure rate for dental implants is very low, however, when dental implants do fail, it is often due to a periodontal infection. Eliminating destructive bacteria before a dental implant is placed helps produce more predictable outcomes and increases dental implant success.

As the art and science of dentistry continues to make advances, Dr. Dawnie Kildoo of Legacy Smiles of Southern Arizona remains committed to remaining on the leading edge of advanced dental technology. For more information about Oral DNA testing with My PerioPath® and My Perio ID®PST®, and to schedule your dental exam, contact our office at (520) 625-0131 or office@legacysmilesaz.com.

What's Behind Bad Breath?

Bad breath, also known as halitosis, should be evaluated by a dentist to determine a possible cause and treatment.
The American Dental Association says potential causes include:

• Eating potent food, such as garlic or onions.
• Dieting excessively or not eating enough.
• Not brushing or flossing regularly to remove food particles from the teeth and gums.
• Having gum disease.
• Having insufficient saliva to help wash away food particles.
• Smoking or chewing tobacco.
• Having a medical condition, such as liver or kidney problems, a lung infection, diabetes or bronchitis.

health.usnews.com

Dental Care Safe for Pregnant Women

Dental cleanings and X-rays are safe for pregnant women, a U.S. OBGYN group says. 

The group also advised OBGYN's to perform routine dental health assessments at women's first prenatal visit and to encourage their patients to see a dentist during pregnancy.

"These new recommendations address the questions and concerns that many ob-gyns, dentists and our patients have about whether it is safe to have dental work during pregnancy," Dr. Diana Cheng, vice chairwoman of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women, said in a college news release.

Dental health problems are associated with other diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and respiratory infections.

"We want ob-gyns to routinely counsel all of their patients, including pregnant women, about the importance of oral health to their overall health," Cheng said.

The college noted that 35 percent of all women say they haven't seen a dentist in the past year and about 40 percent of pregnant women in the United States have cavities or gum disease. Physical changes caused by pregnancy can cause changes in teeth and gums. Dental problems during pregnancy are most common among black women, smokers and women on public assistance.

"We can all reassure our patients that routine teeth cleanings, dental X-rays and local anesthesia are safe during pregnancy," Cheng said. "Pregnancy is not a reason to delay root canals or filling cavities if they are needed because putting off treatment may lead to further complications."

Among the potential benefits of good dental health during pregnancy is that it may decrease the transmission of cavity-causing bacteria from mother to baby, which can help reduce the child's future risk of cavities. 

http://www.health.usnews.com