Americans Get Failing Grade On Oral Health Knowledge

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The American Dental Association, in collaboration with Crest and Oral-B recently revealed findings from a national public opinion survey on oral health care. If you go to nobody's surprise that Americans labor under many misconceptions, and they do so at the risk of their own and their children's health.

Here is a sneak peek at the key findings of the national survey:

1. While eight of 10 Americans say taking care of one's mouth, teeth and gums is "absolutely needed," only one-third of them say they do an "excellent" job taking care of them.

2. One parent in four says his or her kids do only a "fair" or "poor" job taking care of their own mouth, teeth and gums.

3. Americans deem the smile the most important physical attribute but do not realize a beautiful smile is not always a healthy smile and can mask underlying oral health problems. More than one in three Americans say:

-- They think a little bleeding from brushing is normal (33%), yet it's not. It could be a sign of gum disease or something even worse.

-- They are unaware that periodontal disease needs to be treated and cannot be left alone (33%).

-- They don't know that poor oral health has been associated with serious health conditions such as stroke, heart disease and diabetes (37%).

"This survey helps dentists understand opinions their patients may not be sharing, opinions that provide an opportunity to address perception versus reality when it comes to oral health," said Ada Cooper, D.D.S., Consumer Advisor for the ADA and a practicing dentist in NY.

"These findings further strengthen our dedication to helping all Americans achieve good oral health through the products and education we offer," said Leslie Winston, D.D.S., Ph.D., director of Professional and Scientific Relations, Procter and Gamble Oral Care Research Center. "We are happy to provide a united front with the ADA to help."

Halloween Tips For Health-Conscience Parents

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Halloween tricks may scare you and the kids, but the holiday's treats can cause their fair share of trouble as well. The sugar in those Halloween goodies can fuel caries, the disease that causes tooth decay and cavities, says Julie Jenks, a pediatric dentist and assistant professor with the USC School of Dentistry. "When sugar sticks to teeth, the caries bacteria eat it and produce acid, which can wear away the teeth," she says. "It's important to limit the amount of time that the acid spends on teeth."

Did you know that not all candy is created alike when it comes to causing cavities? Sticky candies stay in between teeth a longer period of time and are not so easily removed by saliva, which means that the longer those sweets stay in your mouth the more prone you are to bacteria converting the sugars into acid and getting tooth decay. Sticky sweets like fruit rolls, gummy bears, Laffy Taffy, Starbursts and hard candy like lollipops, jawbreakers, Sweet Tarts or anything that stays in your mouth for long periods should be avoided.

"For those who are worried, a safer treat would be something like plain chocolate, which isn't too gooey or sticky, isn't too hard and can be easily cleaned away with brushing and flossing," Jenks says. To help make the holiday a little less terrifying for teeth, Jenks encourages those welcoming trick-or-treaters this Halloween to hand out treats with non-cariogenic sweeteners, such as xylitol, or alternative goodies such as stickers, small toys, art supplies and other inexpensive novelties. "When purchasing treats, remember to ask, 'would I want my own kids to eat this?'" Jenks says. "There are many other tooth-friendly options that can be bought at discount shops or dollar stores at a similar cost."

Halloween Quick Tips from the Experts:

-- Monitor your child's candy consumption.
-- Don't allow the child to eat candy throughout the day.
-- Avoid sticky foods such as gummy worms, fruit rolls, and taffy.
-- Give candy after dinner and make them brush their teeth before bedtime.
-- Chew sugarless candy after meals to reduce the bacteria level.
-- Avoid eating anything that stays in your mouth for long periods such as lollipops, jolly ranchers, etc.
-- If you're giving out candy this year, consider fun alternatives to sugary treats; including stickers, temporary tattoos, vampire teeth or noisemakers.

Tea For Two Is Good For You

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Did you know that drinking either black or green tea is good for your teeth? Christine Wu, Ph.D. and associate dean for research at the University of Illinois, has conducted several studies on tea in oral health and her research has found that;

* Plant compounds found in both black and green tea prevent plaque from building up in addition to helping prevent the development of cavities.
* Tea has the potential to reduce bad breath as it inhibits the growth of bacteria that causes the odor.
* Many teas also contain fluoride which helps protect the tooth's enamel from decay.

Well, I guess it's goodbye to Coke and Pepsi for me from now on. Tea is my new drink of choice. If I'm lucky, it will save me at least one trip to the dentist.

Dental Veneers? No. Bonded Resin? Yes!

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Tired of having David Letterman's smile and want to finally get rid of that gap between your front teeth? If you can kick the proverbial football through your gap, then you will probably need braces or large veneers to close it up. However, if your gap is relatively minor, there is a less invasive and cheaper cosmetic dentistry procedure called bonded resin that you might consider.

A dentist specializing in cosmetic, or more accurately called, restorative dentistry creates what is effectively a gap-filler out of a tooth-colored material and simply attaches it to both teeth on either side of the gap. The process is mostly painless and achieves good cosmetic results.

On the downside, whereas before you might have been able to floss between the two teeth with thick twine, after the procedure you'll need to sneak the dental floss below where the gap used to be, as the teeth will be physically bonded together.

Since most dental insurance will not pay for purely cosmetic procedures, the only way to save some money on this type of procedure is to enroll into what is known as a discount dental plan. However, simple gap fillings are relatively cheap so even without a discount dental plan, most people should be able to afford. Consult your dentist for an exact estimate to see if this procedure is right for you or for referral to a dentist that can perform this procedure.

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