Here, people with irregular or infrequent bruxism do no get affected as much. It does not really show the damage done to the jaws and teeth. It is those who are habitual grinders who get affected. In severe cases it can also damage one’s jaw or hearing.

The question arises as to how would one know if he or she grinds or clenches their teeth? If detected how bruxism can be treated? It has been studied that some people make a noise when grinding their teeth thus making it detectable while some do not make a single sound making it hard to detect.
There are two ways one can know if they have bruxism, first is when your partner complains about it and second is when after a night’s sleep you get up with an ache in your jaws or a slight, persistent headache. Whatever the case, a checkup by the dentist is pertinent.

Consequences of teeth grinding or clenching:

There are many outcomes to teeth grinding two of which are mentioned above:

• Severe toothache
• Sensitive to biting food
• Sensitive to hot or cold food
• In advanced cases the teeth can break or result in fractures
• Tooth loss

Precaution And Treatment

People visiting the dentist usually complain of severe toothache. To stop this toothache the very habit has to be put to an end. Otherwise there are other factors that could cause it and have to be contained:

• Lower stress and relax daily
• Reduce alcohol consumption and intake of caffeine
• If grinding becomes a problem at night ask your dentist to recommend a nightguard
• If your dentist says it is caused because of irregular bite, he would suggest teeth alignment.

How do we know when food can affect our teeth causing bacteria?

We would be able to make out when food is stuck between teeth when even after some a long time we can get the taste of that food or can feel it around. This is bad because it has already caused the bacteria to thrive.

What are the consequences of eating Fast Food in Children?

Children are the first to bear the brunt of fast foods especially if their life revolves around it. The outcomes, which not only affects teeth but also overall health in daily life are:

• Food that gets stuck in between teeth causes tooth decay leading to endless pain.
• Their school life gets affected with this pain disturbing their concentration and hindering their learning capacity.
• Eating too much of this food, which lacks nutritive value, can result in obesity, diabetes (Type 2) and problems related to the heart.
• All these factors can worsen over time causing acute tooth infection.
• For growing children, fast food which lacks nutrition and does not have enough calcium causes harmful effects on new teeth coming in which could be unhealthy and lack strength.
• Lack of nutrition and calcium can cause weak bones and ion deficiency could result in stunted brain development.

Healthy habits to follow

Our body requires the necessary amounts of calcium, ion and nutrients to grow. To achieve this development a healthy balance of food is required. Home cooked food is the healthiest for children and economical.

Eating good home cooked food does not require lots of money. In the first place it is healthy, nourishing, wholesome and cheap if cooked in large quantities for the whole family as compared to any outdoor eatery where the quality may be questioned and the quantity limited.

A diet full of fruits and vegetables is the ideal diet. The more colorful they are the more nutritious they can be. So, the right amount of healthy food and the minimum amount of processed foods or packaged foods, as they contain preservatives, should be consumed. Before buying any processed foods it is better to check the ingredients listed on the package. A list with more preservatives should be avoided.

Teaching a child when he or she is small is very important. What he learns to eat at this age will be carried on till he grows up. Therefore it is imperative to start healthy food early in life. A child has also to be made aware that processed foods have preservatives which are not good, they should be kept to the minimum and should not be eaten as a substitute to food.

Most of those with missing teeth did not bother to get a tooth replacement done because of not understanding the underlying problem of a missing tooth. Just twenty five percent were aware of the fact that the loss of a tooth could wear out the bones of the jaw causing a change in structure of the jaw line.

Consequences Of A Single Tooth Loss

Studies show that a single tooth loss could have many repercussions some of which are mentioned below:

• There would be a structural change in the jaw
• Other teeth would get relocated as even a single gap among the teeth would cause the other teeth to shift.
• There would be a change in the contour of the face; the shape of the face.
• There would be a drooping, hollow look to the jaw which is not appealing to the eye.
• This look would, in the long run, lower one’s self esteem and have a bearing on his eating behavior.
• Biting and chewing certain types of food would be a problem, like hard fruits and fibrous vegetables, causing one to miss out a person’s normal staple diet.
• There is a tendency, at such times, to eat fatty foods that are soft and easily
  chewable and to avoid hard foods that are necessary or required for the body. This leads to increase in extra weight, which is a sign of impending illnesses such as those dealing with the heart and diabetes.

Treatment Of Tooth Loss:

There are many ways to treat tooth loss, the most effective of which is dental implant. Dental implant is an alternate method to replace a missing tooth. Here an artificial ‘tooth root’ is used. These tooth roots are the basis for the artificial teeth that are either permanently fixed or can be removed. They are made to look similar to natural teeth.

Dental implant is the most preferred treatment for tooth loss for a single tooth or for more than one tooth. This is because it has shown a 98 percent success rate. Medical tests show that dental implant is most successful treatment as a replacement for lost teeth. Secondly, this surgical method allows for minimum bone loss that is why it is favored over other forms of treatment.

Dental implant is the safest, most accurate type of surgery conducted to replace a missing tooth. A dentist, experienced in this surgical procedure, would help to get the accuracy and also show positive results. So if you are planning on doing a dental implant it would be advisable to search out an experienced dentist to avoid any possibility of the implant going wrong.

Periodontitis is one of the largest problems in dental hygiene in the U.S. it ranks second only to cavities. The American Academy of Periodontology have data that states that in the U.S, 30-55 percent of adults are affected by Periodontitis in a mild to moderate form. The percentage of the less fortunate people who suffer from a more severe stage of Periodontitis is 5 to 20 percent of the population.

Healthy human tissues regenerate themselves over a period of time.In Peridontitis, however, the rate of loss of the bone material is much faster than the rate of its regeneration. Though scientists have come to understand how bone material is lost, they have not yet found out a clear reason why new bone formation could be impaired.

What causes Periodontitis?

According to a new paper by UCLA researchers, it is suggested that a master protein may control the impairment of bone formation in the serious gum disease called Periodontitis.

In another paper published in the online edition of the journal Nature Medicine, researchers have again suggested that a master protein is involved heavily in the process of degeneration of the jawbone structure. They have identified a protein called nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB). They say it is this protein that is responsible for inhibiting regeneration of the bone material. Arresting the function of this master protein, called nuclear factor-kB, will help in maintaining the bone formation.

This NF-kB protein was recognized to play a part in cells that are responsible for resorbing bone. This is what could lead to loss of bone, or impairment of regeneration of bone material.

Research and development in treating Periodontitis.

Research and development in arresting degeneration of the jawbone and finding effective treatment for periodontitis is ongoing in order to improve oral hygiene and health. The UCLA researchers have used a different approach in their study of the NF-kB protein.

They have turned around their focus from the role of the NF-kB protein in cells that results in reabsorbing the bone and have chosen to look at the role it plays and its effects in inhibiting cells that are responsible in forming bone instead. They hope this will lead to better understanding of the dreadful disease and thus a better treatment of the disease eventually resulting in better oral health.

Just like other forms of body decoration, they decorated their teeth by carving notches, grooves and even put in semi precious stones that added to the brilliance of their smiles! It seems that elephant tusks are not the only teeth to be embellished in this manner, human teeth were decorated too. This is especially true of Mayans, who as we now know, were very advanced in their knowledge and wisdom. In fact their calendars are still used as reference in modern times.

Archaeology and Anthropology substantiate facts.

These interesting historical facts are brought to light by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History. They have a collection of ancient skulls that date back to the Mayan times.

It is clear from this that the need or want for beauty has existed since time immemorial. Among some teeth found in those collections at Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History, scientists cannot really pinpoint the origins of some teeth that belonged to people living in a region labeled “Mesoamerica”, which existed in the sixteenth century before the historical invasions of the Spanish.
José Concepción Jiménez, an anthropologist at the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology, further adds that these teeth decorations had nothing to do with social class or a system of hierarchy that the natives belonged to. This is backed by the fact that the Red Queen, (royals in those days) a Maya mummy that was discovered in a temple at Palenque in what is now Mexico didn’t have teeth decorations.

Teeth beautification was commonly used by all purely for enhancing the beauty of their teeth, just as body tattoos were. More interestingly, men were more inclined to decorate their teeth than were women. Another discovery of a skull of a person, who had a ceremonial denture, is further evidence that dentistry existed in ancient times.

Knowledge, skill and materials used by dentist in ancient times.

Dentists were highly knowledgeable even in ancient times. This is highlighted by the fact that to drill into the teeth, they used hard stone for example obsidian, which is strong and hard and can puncture bones. Drilling and any form of cosmetic or restorative dental work can be painful, and the possibility of using herbs to kill any pain, before and after the procedure, cannot be ruled out.

The fact the dentistry was really advanced in those times is proven by the evidence that those dentists had the skill and technology to drill into the teeth without touching the delicate pulp in the tooth, it seems like they did know the importance of avoiding that and knew the damage caused by infection could result in loss of the tooth or teeth.

According to Jiménez, to bond semi precious stones like jade, to the teeth, they used a paste made of natural resins, such as plant sap, which was mixed with other natural chemicals and crushed bones. This was certainly long lasting, as the semi precious stones are still in place after hundreds of years!

The latest development by Scientists at the University of Michigan, for regenerating gum tissue is a technique that uses gene delivery. This method of gene delivery looks safe and does not seem to pose any hazards for regenerating gum tissue that supports teeth. According to William Giannobile, a professor at the U-M School of Dentistry, there still remain many issues that revolve around concern for safety of the patient undergoing gene therapy, though this form of therapy is accepted widely as a method of treatment and healing.

This concern for safety was highlighted in the early stages of its development a number of years ago, when a teenager undergoing gene therapy died after the administration of adenovirus during a gene therapy clinical trial at the University of Pennsylvania.

Gene therapy versus U-M therapy

When he compared gene therapy to U-M therapy, Professor Giannobile said that both therapies use adenovirus but in U-M therapy, the dosage is much lower and treatment is in the form of a local application, quite like a paste which is applied directly on the tissue during surgery; as opposed to gene therapy where the genes are injected directly in the blood vessels which allows adenovirus to travel in the blood stream and this may at times result in unexpected developments which can sometimes be fatal. The U-M method is more of a topical method where the adenovirus is controlled in the localised area and is not allowed to spread throughout the body. This approach lessens concerns of saftey and about negative reactions that may occur within the body.

Professor Giannobile, who has an appointment at the U-M College of Engineering’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and also directs the Michigan Center for Oral Health Research, explained that the teenager died, as the adenovirus got into his bloodstream and he reacted adversely to it. It was tragic.

He said that in the first study of periodontal disease therapy, it was demonstrated the that distribution of these genes was very safe. He also said that it could be used in the clinic for clinical application. He said that their study does not address all the safety concerns, but that safety was surely a very important concern to the field. (The success of using this treatment will surely depend on its safety factor.) The U-M method of treatment shows great potential in clinical treatment of Periodontal disease and diabetic wounds. He pointed out that that this could be due to the fact that both these diseases are a result of a “defective healing environment.”

In their ongoing research, Scientists in Canada and China have developed an enduring material using human bile acids. They hope that this material can be used to fill dental cavities. Bile acids, as we learnt in school, are body substances that the liver produces in order to help in the digestion of fats. Bile acids produced by the liver are stored in the gallbladder.

The description of the process in which these researchers collected human bile acids and proceeded to convert these acids into sturdy, tough, durable plastic kind of material that is hard and resistant to cracking, has appeared in an article in ACS (Applied Materials & Interfaces). This article also states that the newly developed material using human bile acids is much better at resisting cracking than the other materials that are currently in use.

The team of scientists working on this development are at the department of chemistry in the Shanxi University in China. They are led by Julian Zhu. They stated that this new material certainly seems stronger and longer lasting. They added that this material with its capacity to resist cracking, will certainly reduce the number of emergency visits to the dentist that could result due to cracked fillings which are rather painful.

There are many options available for you to choose from, in order to reduce your dentist bills. They are described in brief herein. Do read each option carefully and decide which one will work best for you.

• 1. Dental insurance – this is an insurance plan that you subscribe to, or pay a premium for, in order to recover any dental health expenses. It works quite like medical insurance, where the amount that will be reimbursed to you will be decided depending on the plan you have chosen and the amount of premium you choose to pay.

  There are many packages that various companies offer- family coverage, individual coverage etc. If you choose your insurance provider carefully, you can save up to $2000/- annually on dentist’s bills. Isn’t that a substantial amount to add to your savings?

  Additionally, if your company or your employer offers dental care benefits, then you would be very fortunate. Dental insurance benefits the company as well as the employees.

• 2. Dental tourism: this is an upcoming trend like medical tourism. As it is a well known fact that dental treatment is very expensive in the United States and in Europe and Australia, many people are choosing to travel to Asian countries to get their oral hygiene and dental care requirements met. There are many benefits to this, one is that you get to travel and see new places and simultaneously get your teeth taken care of.

  Secondly the cost of traveling and dental bills still works out to be economical as compared to getting your dental care in the USA or Europe or Australia. Plus there is the added advantage of getting excellent qualified experts at more economical rates in Asian counties. These dentists have international acclaim. If you opt for dental tourism, you can save up to $300 on a dental filling and almost $2500/- for a root canal treatment.

• 3. Free dental care options: this is a little bit of a misnomer because though they are labelled free, these dental treatment options do cost you some money, but the amount is very less and thus very economical, and so practical that it looks like it is free. This also may be a charity organization where only the low income group people or people with HIV or some other disease are treated; or payment could be requested inform of a donation.
• 4. Sleep dentistry: this is a roundabout way of saving costs. The treatment method used is such that the patient is sedated during the treatment and so feels no pain before, during and after the dental treatment procedure. Thus they end up saving themselves the cost of painkillers and lost time at work due to painful dental procedures.
• 5. Dental plans that offer discounts: there are easy to use options as compared to dental insurance plans. Using these discount plans, you can save from 20% to 60% on most dental treatments, be they restorative or cosmetic.

  If you register for a discount dental plan, you will gain access to a whole network of dental care experts, who may even offer you cosmetic or other types of treatments at discounted rates. With this kind of an option, you start saving your money almost immediately.
  So choose your options and begin saving right away!


]]> http://www.dentalhealthsite.com/5-tips-save-dental-costs/feed/ 1 http://www.dentalhealthsite.com/dental-discount-plans-insurance-plans-option/ http://www.dentalhealthsite.com/dental-discount-plans-insurance-plans-option/#comments Wed, 10 Jun 2009 07:57:41 +0000 admin http://www.dentalhealthsite.com/?p=790 In recent years, an increasing trend towards the use of dental discount plans in place of insurance plans is starting to emerge.

Many people can be seen to switch to dental discount plans simply due to its attractiveness as a cheaper option in the context of the rising insurance costs, and the misconception that dental discount plans provide the same benefits of insurance. An informed decision for the switch is not as prevalent as it should be.

Medical Discount plans : A clarification

Even though a significant number of people now opt for dental discount plans instead of insurance, not many are aware of what exactly a discount plan entails.

A discount plan is a scheme that offers lower discounted prices for services obtained from providers that are members of the plan. This service is provided for a monthly fee. The discount levels can vary from widely from service to service, and from provider to provider.

Dental Discount plans : The advantages

Even with work place options, many people are finding it more and more difficult to afford the monthly insurance premiums. In such cases, there is a higher tendency to drop the dental insurance benefits rather than any other, as dental health is generally not considered a priority.

Unlike insurance, however, with a dental discount plan

• there are fewer limits/ restrictions on the age, number of visits and the services available
• pre-existing conditions are covered
• there is more flexibility to change providers

Companies can offer or provide information about the discount plans to their employees without incurring any additional costs.

For such persons, a discount plan provides a much awaited low cost solution. Reputed companies have extensive networks of providers that that offer considerable discounts. They also offer package deals/ offers for the whole family to further ease the cost burden.

Dental Discount plans : The disadvantages

It should be kept in mind that a discount plan is, however, not insurance.

Therefore, with such a plan the medical bills still need to be paid by the patient. This may cause unnecessary hassle when requiring an urgent visit to the hospital.

Due to discount plans being a novel concept, there is a high prevalence of dishonest providers in the market as well. A person proposing to switch to a discount plan needs to be doubly cautious when selecting such a plan.

Misleading terms in advertisements such as “coverage” and “long term care” should be closely investigated to ensure their validity. A patient who is under the impression that such terms offer insurance will be greatly inconvenienced when the time arrives to pay for large medical bills.

Dental Discount plans : Yes or No

As can be seen discount plans have their benefits and risks.
The decision to use a dental discount plan instead of insurance is solely at the discretion of the patient depending on the value he expects for his money spent.

If a person is considering making the switch, what is most important is that a thorough understanding is obtained beforehand of how the plan works and the exact benefits and costs involved of that particular plan.


]]> http://www.dentalhealthsite.com/dental-discount-plans-insurance-plans-option/feed/ 0 http://www.dentalhealthsite.com/dental-care-prevent-heart-attacks/ http://www.dentalhealthsite.com/dental-care-prevent-heart-attacks/#comments Wed, 10 Jun 2009 07:54:48 +0000 admin http://www.dentalhealthsite.com/?p=788 How can teeth, a part of the body so relatively insignificant, that it can even be pulled out almost at will, have an effect on one of the most important and almost irreplaceable body parts – the heart?

For decades, most scientists and reflexology practitioners have argued how each part of your body is connected to others, and how proper treatment of some of the most unnoticed body parts can have huge benefits on the most invaluable ones. Being one of the most complex systems in the world it is invariable that there are little known links within the body.

This is true when it comes to teeth as well. Professor Howard Jenkinson of the Bristol University, along with the Royal College of Surgeons, has identified the link between poor dental health and heart disease through their studies.

The risks of poor dental care

The mouth has almost 700 different types of bacteria living in it. Some bacteria are the harmful kind. But, there are harmless bacteria as well. These bacteria help in breaking down food particles. Every time you eat, drink or even open your mouth the numbers of bacteria in your mouth increase. Through regular brushing and proper dental care the bacteria are kept under control.

However, improper dental care can result in gum infections, gingivitis and similar oral diseases. This causes the harmful bacteria to enter the blood stream. Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus sanguinis are some of the bacteria causing oral infections. Such bacteria have been identified to be factors resulting in heart disease.


How to prevent heart disease

It has been the case that certain antibiotics do not seem to work against heart disease. It is possible that oral bacteria could be the reason. Professor Jenkinson and Dr Steve Kerringan are working to find a solution to this. Until such time, prevention of oral diseases and maintaining proper dental hygiene and care is the best possible method in protecting yourself.

Regular brushing, especially after meals, is the main method of keeping mouth disease at bay. Protection can be further enhanced by the use of dental care products such as anti-bacterial sprays and mouthwash. This will help to prevent against oral bacterial diseases. In turn, this would also protect against one of the causes of heart attacks.


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