Health

Teeth Straightening Options to Treat Crooked & Misaligned Teeth

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When we think of braces a vivid picture of a metal mouth comes to our mind. Slowly, this picture is fading away as orthodontic advancements have allowed people of any age to correct their misaligned or crooked teeth with methods that are beyond traditional metal wires and brackets.   Common Causes of Misaligned or Crooked Teeth The cause of misaligned teeth is often attributed to hereditary factors. However, research has provided enough evidence that point to other causes too. Some of the causes are as follows: Breathing through mouth Tongue thrusting Reverse swallowing Thumb sucking Incorrect jaw development due to allergies, asthma and an open mouth posture Different Teeth Straightening Procedures for Crooked or Misaligned Teeth 1. Braces Braces are now not restricted to metal wires. Technology and innovations have empowered today’s orthodontists to offer more teeth straightening options than ever … Read more

Natural Supplements to Improve your Periodontal Health

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Taking natural supplements can provide excellent health benefits. Previously, on this site there has been discussion of how the omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil could help potentially improve periodontitis, see the post Fish Oil to Help Periodontal Disease. Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease that is increasingly the cause of tooth loss and a common reason for needing to have wisdom teeth extracted. It is the sixth most common disease in the world. Different pharmaceutical drugs can be used for treatment; however, many are instead interested in natural therapies. Fortunately, research continues to show that omega-3 fatty acids can be used as an adjunct to periodontal therapy. Omega fatty acids are long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which cannot be synthesized by the body and must be ingested with food or obtained through supplementation. In a study titled “What is the … Read more

Listen to Music Before Dental Cleaning to Reduce Anxiety

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An interesting article titled “Effects of Music Listening on Pre-treatment Anxiety and Stress Levels in a Dental Hygiene Recall Population” written by Thoma et al. appears in the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine (vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 498-505). The article discusses how waiting for a medical procedure can provoke anxiety in patients and lead to stress. In the article the authors perform a study to explore if patients waiting for a dental cleaning can have their anxiety reduced by listening to music. The authors were motivated to perform their study because previous studies have shown that listening to music can reduce anxiety and stress. Other studies in hospital patients has also shown that listening to music prior to surgery reduces anxiety and can do so just as effectively if not better than pharmacological options like benzodiazepines. Furthermore, these prior … Read more

Blood tests to detect dental fear

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An interesting article titled “The impact of dental treatment and age on salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase levels of patients with varying degrees of dental anxiety” written by AlMaummar, AlThabit and Pani appears in BMC Oral Health in 2019 (19:211). The article discusses the use of blood tests to attempt to determine which children might be more susceptible to dental fear. Dental fear has been discussed before on this site such as in the post Dental Anxiety and Fear: Impact on Oral Health. The study included 151 children who were treated at the dental clinics of King Abdulaziz Medical City and Riyadh Colleges of Dentistry and Pharmacy in Riyadh. Each of the children had behavior screening done using a Frankl behavior rating scale and a Children’s Fear Survey Schedule children’s subscale to assess dental fear. Based on answers to the behavior … Read more

Prior gum disease increases cancer risk

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Researchers have found that postmenopausal women who had prior gum disease have a higher risk of cancer. The study was conducted by researchers at the University at Buffalo. The study is the first to find an association between periodontal disease and gallbladder cancer risk in women or men. The study also provided useful information on a number of cancer-specific sites. The study included 65,869 postmenopausal women who were part of the Women’s Health Initiative, an ongoing national prospective study designed to investigate factors affecting disease and death risk in older U.S. women. Most women were non-Hispanic and the average age was 68. Participants were asked “has a dentist or dental hygienist ever told you that you had periodontal or gum disease?” Those women who had a history of gum disease had a 14% increased risk of overall cancer. A total of 7,149 … Read more