New Link Between Pregnancy And Tooth Loss

'
The old wives tale "for every child the mother loses a tooth" has some validity, according to a NYU dental professor.

Women who have more children are more likely to have missing teeth, according to a nationwide study of 2,635 women by Dr. Stefanie Russell, an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology & Health Promotion, which was published on the Web site of the American Journal of Public Health.

Dr. Russell's conclusions are based on information on white and black non-Hispanic women ages 18-64 who reported at least one pregnancy in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a representative study of the U.S. population.

"This is the first time we've seen a connection between pregnancy and tooth loss affecting women at all socioeconomic levels in a large, heterogeneous sample of the U.S. population," Dr. Russell remarked.

Profound biological and behavioral changes related to pregnancy and child birth are likely to be a factor in tooth loss, according to Dr. Russell. For example:

Pregnancy can make women prone to gingivitis (gum inflammation). Repeated pregnancies are likely to result in more frequent outbreaks of gingivitis that may lead to tooth loss in women with periodontitis. Two possible reasons for this is because woman may postpone seeking dental treatment due to financial concerns related to having children in addition to the fact that caring for more children may lead a mother to cut back on the time she devotes to her own oral health.

"Although further research is needed on the specific reasons for the link between pregnancy and tooth loss, it is clear that women with multiple children need to be especially vigilant about their dental health," Dr. Russell says.

"We, as a society, need to be more aware of the challenges that women with children may face in getting access to dental care. That means offering these women the resources and support they need - which can be as simple as making sure a working mother gets time off from work to see the dentist."

Temporary Dentures Improve Denture Wearers Self Esteem

'
As more people realize how their smile influences their self-esteem, those who are waiting for permanent dentures no longer have to wait to perfect their smile. Temporary dentures are not only economically feasible to wear while waiting for a permanent denture, but they can also aid in a person's overall health and restore a fading smile, according to a study from the January/February 2008 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD) clinical, peer reviewed journal.

According to the study, the most common problems associated with natural tooth loss as reported by patients waiting for dentures are:

• Reduction in ability to chew - 91.91%
• Social embarrassment - 86.35%
• Avoid eating certain foods - 73.83%
• Feel nervous or self-conscious - 68.7%
• Emotional pain - 66.26%

"A smile serves as an individual's most powerful tool," says AGD spokesperson Laura Murcko, DMD. "A great smile can make great, lasting impression, boost a person's self-esteem and confidence as well as improve their overall health."

20 Million False Teeth Can't Be Wrong
However, each year in the United States, over 20 million teeth are extracted, leaving scores of people with imperfect and sometimes devastating smiles. A recent online survey of more than 1,100 AGD members revealed that more than 86% of dentists reported that their patients deemed social embarrassment as a problem associated with tooth loss.

"Unsightly gaps in the mouth do not have to be part of a person's permanent appearance," says Dr. Murcko. While many dentures that help to restore a damaged smile, interim removable partial dentures, also known as temporary dentures provide an immediate and short-term pleasing result.

"They also allow the patient to eat regular food and serve as a space maintainer in younger patients who've lost teeth as a result of trauma," according to the lead study author, Canan Bural, DDS.

When people suffer from tooth decay or periodontal disease, losing just one tooth can be a sign that more teeth will be lost. This means that placing a permanent denture in the mouth is difficult. "When continued tooth loss is expected in a patient, dentists are limited in terms of the type of dentures they can offer to the patient," explains Dr. Bural. In instances such as these, temporary dentures can greatly benefit the patient.

But Aren't Dentures Expensive?
However, people worried about the extra expense of temporary dentures can breathe a little easier because most dental insurance covers at least 50% of the cost for this dental procedure. There is even in good news for those without dental insurance as they can purchase one of the many discount dental plans out on the market which will save them between 30% and 45% off the regular retail price.

New Drug Reverses Dentists' Anesthesia

'
(WebMD Medical News) - The FDA has approved OraVerse, the first drug indicated for reversing the effects of local anesthesia used by dentists.

According to Novalar Pharmaceuticals, the drug company that makes OraVerse, the FDA approved OraVerse's use in adults and children six years or older based on several clinical studies in which patients got an injection of OraVerse or a placebo after undergoing dental procedures under local anesthetics.

In the clinical studies, the patients who got OraVerse regained normal sensation in their lips faster than those who got the placebo. Within an hour after getting OraVerse, 41% of the patients had normal sensation in their lower lip, while 59% of the patients regained normal sensation in their upper lip within an hour after getting OraVerse.

Mouthwash Myth

'
Contrary to common myth, mouthwash does not wash your mouth and certainly does not help create stronger gums like flossing does. Although many, such as Listerine, do help break down plaque, studies have shown that rinsing with plain tap water can be almost as effective.

Even if you and your kids really hate flossing, your best dental plan is to stick with the tried and true brush and floss combination, supplementing it with mouthwash if recommended by your family dentist.

Save Money With Homemade Mouthwash
Having trouble stomaching the cost of mouthwash? No dental insurance policy or discount dental plan out there will cover such routine daily oral hygiene treatments but, with a little ingenuity, you won't have to pad the wallets of Listerine's stock holders either.

Two common recipes for homemade mouthwash are:

1. ½ teaspoon salt in 8 ounces of water (or 4 ounces for a stronger solution)
2. ½ teaspoon baking soda in 8 ounces of water

Friends of "My Dental Complaint"

• Marshall-Alan: Hospitality Industry Search Firm
• Casa Mason: The Best Staten Island Real Estate
• Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil For Healthy Cooking
• NY Baseball History Via Walking Tours

Researchers Uncover Link Between Osteoporosis Drugs and Jaw Infection

'
According to the April issue of the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, researchers at the USC School of Dentistry say that they have identified the slimy culprits killing the jawbones of some people taking drugs that treat Osteoporosis.

A mix of bacteria and sticky extracellular material called "microbial biofilms" are causing jaw tissue infections in patients taking bisphosphonate drugs (a.k.a. Fosamax, Boniva and Actonel) said Parish Sedghizadeh, lead researcher and assistant clinical professor at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry.

Sedghizadeh said there have been increasing reports of osteonecrosis (bone death) of the jaw in patients who have been taking the drugs for osteoporosis or for treatment from the bone-wasting effects of cancer. He said he decided to investigate further after seeing patients in USC dentistry clinics who had the unusual jaw infection.

"This is the first study that identifies microbial biofilms in the bone of bisphosphonate patients who have osteonecrosis of the jaw," Sedghizadeh said. "Now that we've know biofilms are behind the infection of the jaw, we are studying ways to effectively treat or prevent the osteonecrosis," Sedghizadeh said.