Health

When Should Children Start Using Fluoride Toothpaste?

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There is some conflicting information about when children should start using fluoride toothpaste. Studies have suggested that young children who consume large amounts of fluoride through fluoridated water, beverages, and toothpaste have an increased chance of developing mild enamel fluorosis see https://blog.teethremoval.com/large-amounts-of-fluoride-consumed-by-young-children-leads-to-fluorosis/. Hence some felt that not using any fluoridated toothpaste when a child was young was the better choice, whereas some felt that that using a small amount of fluoride toothpaste was okay In 2014, the ADA’s Council on Scientific Affairs updated its guidance on the use of fluoride toothpaste for children. The new guidance is that children’s teeth should be brushed with fluoride toothpaste as soon as the first tooth comes in. The idea is to provide children with the full benefit of cavity protection while also minimizing the risk of the development of fluorosis. The ADA’s Council on … Read more

Should You Have a Dental Extraction Before a Cardiac Surgery?

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An interesting article titled “Morbidity and Mortality Associated With Dental Extraction Before Cardiac Operation,” appears in the March 2014, journal The Annals of Thoracic Surgery (vol. 97, issue 3, pp. 838-844). The article is conducted by researchers from Mayo Clinic. They found that people who had planned dental extraction before cardiac operation are at risk for major adverse outcomes, which included a 3% risk of death before cardiac operation and included an 8% risk of a major adverse outcome including stroke or kidney failure. In many cases problem teeth are extracted before surgery with the thought being that they will reduce the risk of an infection occurring such as endocarditis which is an infection of the inner lining of the heart. Prosthetic heart valve-related endocarditis results in about 25% of infective endocarditis cases and is fatal in up to 38% … Read more

Bacteria and Fungus Can Team Up to Cause Cavities

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An interesting article titled “Symbiotic relationship between Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans synergizes the virulence of plaque-biofilms in vivo,” appears in the February 2014, edition of Infection and Immunity, written by Megan L. Falsetta and et al. The article describes how although Streptococcus mutans is often cited as the main bacteria in dental caries (cavities), particularly in early-childhood caries (ECCs), it may not act alone and may team up with Candida albicans. The infection with both can double the number of caries and increase their severity as it did for rats in the study. Candida albicans adheres mainly to the cheek and tongue, while Streptococcus mutans sticks to the surfaces of teeth by converting sugars to a sticky glue-like material called extracellular polysaccharide (EPS). The researchers found that the exoenzyme that S. mutans uses to react with sugar to produce EPS also … Read more

Fluoride in Water Does Not Lower Intelligence

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An interesting article titled “Community Water Fluoridation and Intelligence: Prospective Study in New Zealand,” appears in the 2014 edition of the American Journal of Public Health by Jonathan M. Broadbent and et. al. The researchers set out to explore whether or not having fluoride in water that one drinks when they are young and age effects the developing brain negatively. The researchers followed nearly all aspects of the health and development of around 1,000 people born in Dunedin in southeast New Zealand in 1972-1973, up to age 38. The researchers compared IQs of those who grew up in Dunedin suburbs with and without fluoridated water. Furthermore, if one used fluoride toothpaste and tablets the researchers used this in their analysis. The researchers focused on fluoride expose during the first five years of life as this is a critical period of time … Read more

Periodontal Therapy Impact on General Health

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An interesting article titled “Impact of Periodontal Therapy on General Health,” appears in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine (published online June 18, 2014) and written by Marjorie Jeffcoat and et. al. The authors attempt to estimate the effects of periodontal therapy on medical costs and hospitalizations among those with type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, cerebral vascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and pregnancy. The goal was to see if periodontal disease therapy might prevent or mitigate some of the adverse effects associated with the 5 studied conditions. The authors found significant reductions in healthcare costs and hospital admissions for pregnant women and patients with type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, and cerebral vascular disease. The authors found that the medical costs for pregnant women were 74% lower than for those with untreated periodontal disease. Patients with both type 2 diabetes … Read more