dental health

Poor Oral Health is Linked to Depression: Implications for Public Health

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A 2014 research project confirmed the link between poor oral health and depression, a relevant finding that can help in improving public health.  Oral health plays a significant role in the mental condition of a person, a two-way relationship that can become complex. On the one hand, dental care and treatments may produce anxieties and phobias. However, the absence of good oral hygiene can cause tooth problems, gum diseases, infections and other complications. Medications for mental health issues also produce side effects such as teeth grinding and dry mouths. The Importance of Oral Health and the Science Behind It Two National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) examined the relationship of dental health and depression. Oral health questionnaires (OHQ) were used as bases for dental health while depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Using logistic regression to measure the … Read more

Getting Braces Before or After Wisdom Teeth Extraction: Which is The Better Option?

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Is it better to get braces or wait for a child’s wisdom teeth to come through? This is the most common question that most orthodontists are asked by their patients. The common concern that all parents have about their children getting braces early on is that their wisdom teeth may erupt at a later stage and throw the rest of their teeth out of alignment. The truth is that most children don’t get their wisdom teeth until they enter their early college years, and there are very few if any children who will want to wait until then to start their orthodontic treatment. Wisdom Teeth and How They Affect the Alignment of Teeth Wisdom tooth removal is not necessary for everyone but may be needed for children who need braces as emerging wisdom teeth may crowd the mouth which does … Read more

Experts Insist Flossing Does Nothing to Limit Tooth Decay…Could They Be Correct?

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When it comes to orthodontics health and habits, it always seems that someone is telling us what we can and cannot do. Perhaps that is why those studies that make us feel better about not always following the rules makes us feel better. Findings published for the past decade about the effectiveness of flossing on tooth decay has been mixed. Some studies have found that it has no relation to tooth decay while others insist that tooth health is directly related to nothing more than flossing. There seems to be some truth to the scientific findings that the shame we all get by our dental hygienist may not be well founded. Could it be that we need not feel ashamed that flossing is not on our lists of to-dos? The research shows that if you don’t make a daily routine … Read more

People With Missing Teeth May Not Need Dentures

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Interesting research from the University of Adelaide questions whether or not all of those people who have dentures really need them. The research was conducted by the University’s Australian Research Center for Population Oral Health in the School of Dentistry and found that people with tooth loss do not have their quality of life interfered with if they still have a certain type and number of teeth left. These patients are considered to have shortened dental arches which enables them to maintain functional use of many teeth. The researchers says there is a cut off point at which tooth loss contributes to loss of quality of life where dentures can be used to improve dentures. However, the researchers feel that dentures are only needed once that cutting off point is reached. The study was based on data of 2,700 Australians. … Read more

Nutrition is Important for Oral Health

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The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has published a position paper on oral health and nutrition which looks at the current research literature to support that nutrition is an important component of oral health. The paper promotes the view that dietitian nutritionists should collaborate with oral health care professionals to help in disease prevention. The paper states “Oral health and nutrition have a synergistic multidirectional relationship. Oral infectious diseases, as well as acute, chronic, and terminal systemic diseases with oral manifestations impact functional ability to eat as well as diet and nutrition status. Likewise, nutrition and diet can affect the development and integrity of the oral cavity as well as the progression of oral diseases.” The paper was published in the the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in May 2013, and is available for download at http://www.eatright.org/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=8426. … Read more