Healthy Smile Series: Why children should brush their teeth

Sugar is the enemy of healthy chompers; brushing gets rid of it

Mornings used to be pretty hectic in the Bennett household. Kids had to be woken up. Dogs had to be let out. Breakfast had to be eaten. And last but not least, teeth had to be brushed. Getting all of this done with two kids, three dogs and only two parents was very tricky. But somehow we managed. And now that our kids are older, things have gotten a lot easier.

Today we’re going to focus on one of the most annoying things parents ask you to do: brush your teeth. Although it only takes a couple of minutes twice a day, brushing your teeth is an awful, rotten, unfair, boring, ridiculous waste of time. Just kidding. Brushing your teeth is an important part of personal hygiene that even animals take care of — at least the ones that have teeth.

Animals don’t use toothbrushes, of course, but they chew and gnaw on objects to keep their teeth clean.

The main thing that separates humans from animals in the dental realm is sugar. If we didn’t have sugar in our diet, we would have much less tooth decay. Why? Because sugar is the enemy of healthy teeth. Here’s why: Our bodies are filled with bacteria. Most of these microscopic organisms are harmless. However, as far as teeth are concerned, the story is a little different. Like larger animals (us, for example) bacteria produce waste products after they consume (eat) nutrients. Among the waste products produced by mouth bacteria are acids that can damage tooth enamel. (Enamel is an extremely strong material that makes up the outside of your teeth.) These acids are too mild for you to feel, but that doesn’t mean they’re not there.

Because the bacteria in your mouth love “sweets,” they will gorge themselves on any sugar that coats your teeth. The acids they leave behind create pits in your enamel like a prospector digging for gold.

Once tiny pits have formed in the tooth enamel, additional acids make them deeper and deeper. Eventually, bacteria invade the inside of the tooth, causing decay. In reality, tooth decay is like having an infection in your teeth.

You do not have to eat candy to have sugar in your mouth. Bread and other starchy foods are digested (broken down) into a type of sugar by saliva. These sugars are just as appealing to mouth bacteria as a Snickers. (If you chew a cracker and keep it in your mouth for a moment before swallowing it, you will notice that it’s a little sweet. This proves that saliva turns starch into sugar.) So go ahead and brush your teeth. The time you waste having to do this horrible chore will be made back with easier dental visits, whiter teeth and less annoying parents. 
reference: HOWARD J. BENNETT 

Bennett is a Washington pediatrician. His website is howardjbennett.com.

Healthy Smile Series: What is America's greatest addiction ??

In the fight against childhood obesity, it’s time to scrutinize the effects of glucose
America has been dealing with addiction for decades, but studies are finding some of the most addictive substances we encounter often are in our children’s lunchboxes. 

COOKIE ADDICTION 

Every parent has inevitably witnessed the rise and fall of energy within their child with the consumption of candy and sweets. When the brain is washed in glucose, it works faster, harder and in hyper-drive. However, most parents don’t realize the brain habituates itself, or becomes accustomed to elevated levels of blood sugar. Once the brain has experienced a certain high, or surge in energy from elevated blood sugar, it becomes acclimated and physiologically demands extra glucose from that point forward. 

Unfortunately, there are no options for going cold turkey. Once acclimated to elevated levels of glucose, the brain will not function properly without them. When not given its glucose-fix, the brain becomes fuzzy, lethargic, demotivated and slow to learn. In addition, excess cortisol — the primary stress hormone — is released, which encourages mood swings, weight gain, fatigue and cravings for more carbohydrates. Many adults experience these feelings around 10 a.m. or 3 p.m., when they are “coming down” from a meal. At those two points in the day, many adults reach for a doughnut or a coke, anything to maintain mental productivity. 

DRUGS ON EVERY CORNER 

Unlike the stereotype of hooded men in back alleys, foods that spike blood sugar are available in the open, with advertising on every street corner and on countless websites. Refined carbohydrates, containing sugars and often low-fat logos, plead to our on the- go nature and are easy to grab when getting gas. They break down quickly in our bodies, skyrocket our blood sugar and wash the brain in glucose. Examples of common on-the-go foods include: granola bars, muffins, bagels, cookies, most breakfast cereals, instant oatmeal, rice cakes, soda, sports drinks, candy bars, puddings and fruit snacks. How many of the listed foods appear in your child’s lunchbox?

We are addicting them to glucose before they can make decisions for themselves. As busy parents, we want to feed them as healthfully as possible with minimal mess and preparation. There is no glucose dealer here, just individuals with responsibilities pulling them in multiple directions. 

PANCAKE REHAB 

Similar to smoking cessation, glucose addiction is not a battle to be won overnight. The brain has habituated to sugar for years, making the habit a physiological necessity. Small choices instituted every day can help to slowly acclimate the brain to less sugar. For on-the-go families with budgets and deadlines, we recommend: 

• Fruit: The portable snack that offers natural sugar, fiber and nutrients. 

• String cheese: Kids love them, they will never affect blood sugar, and they’re a good source of protein.

• Yogurt: Although some yogurts have a lot of sugar in them, they still offer a better option than muffins because of their serving of dairy and protein content. They can also be frozen to make a healthy treat or utilitarian ice pack.

• Roasted nuts: Peanuts, cashews, almonds, all offer healthy fats and give you a “full” feeling.

• Chocolate (preferably dark): If you’re going to eat a sweet, at least enjoy one packed with antioxidants! Chocolate has a high fat content, which slows down sugar molecules in the digestive process.

• Whole grains: Snacks labelled whole grain are great choices among carbohydrates.

Studies have shown some of the most addictive substances can be found in children’s lunchboxes. Eating excess amounts of glucose, found in foods such as doughnuts, makes your brain demand extra sugar from that point forward and causes your brain to malfunction if it doesn't receive more.

Reference: Alliance for Health 

Healthy Smile Series: Diabetes and Gum Disease

New Scientific Understandings

People with diabetes already know that diabetes can harm their eyes, nerves, feet, kidneys, and heart. But did you know that diabetes can cause problems in the mouth? Scientific research has now confirmed that diabetics have a higher risk for gum disease.

Periodontal (gum) disease is a chronic low-grade infection of the gums and bone around the teeth. Oral bacteria cause gum tissues to become infected and break down. Because diabetics tend to have more problems with infections and wound healing, gum disease represents a worrisome threat to both oral and general health.

The good news is that diabetics who have regular dental care experience better control of their blood sugar, compared to other diabetics with gum disease. The bad news is that diabetics who are not in control of their blood sugar have gum disease more often than diabetics with good blood sugar control.

This means that diabetics who are well controlled can enjoy the same level of oral health as non-diabetics if they practice good oral hygiene, have regular professional care, and keep their oral tissues healthy.

This makes the dentist and dental hygienists valuable members of the diabetic team. They help assure that the mouth stays healthy and does not complicate blood sugar control or the overall management of diabetes. Working with a dentist who understands the unique challenges faced by diabetes is important.

If you know anyone with diabetes, you will be doing them a huge potentially life-saving favor by sharing this information and encouraging them to take care of their diabetes and their oral health. This is because people with diabetes and gum disease have a dramatically increased risk of dying from diabetic complications.

reference:  Lee Ostler DDS

Healthy Smile Series: Added sugars in diet linked to heart disease deaths

Consuming too much sugar can increase the risk of premature death from heart disease, a finding that is fueling calls for the Canadian and U.S. governments to offer dietary limits on sugar.
For an adult consuming 2,000 calories a day, drinking the equivalent of a bottle of pop sold in vending machines would exceed the level that a new U.S. study suggests raises the risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD).

"A higher percentage of calories from added sugar is associated with significantly increased risk of CVD mortality," lead author Quanhe Yang of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and co-authors conclude in this week’s issue of the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
The researchers analyzed national health and diet surveys between 1988 and 2010 of more than 30,000 Americans with an average age of 44. They found the fatal heart risk became elevated once added sugar intake surpassed 15 per cent of total calories.

"Too much sugar does not just make us fat; it can also make us sick," said Laura Schmidt, a health policy specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, who wrote a commentary accompanying the study.
Previously, sugar used in processed or prepared foods, such as sugar-sweetened beverages, dairy desserts, candy, ready-to-eat cereals and yeast breads, has been linked to increased risks for non-fatal heart problems and with obesity. Naturally occurring sugars in fruit aren't included.
Sugar is hugely important to the trillion-dollar processed food industry, said Michael Moss, a journalist in New York and author of the book, Salt Sugar Fat.

"They're a very powerful lobby," Moss said in an interview Tuesday. "It's very frustrating for consumers, especially when you go in and buy a product, look at the label and there's a blank spot next to sugar. There is no government recommendation on how much sugar you should be capping yourself on and consuming in a day."

The Canadian and U.S. governments don’t provide dietary limits for added sugar and there isn't a consensus on how much is too much.

"What we really need as Canadians is more information," said Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, an obesity doctor in Ottawa. "We need food labels that don't allow for sugar synonyms and actually list the amount of added sugar there."

This is the amount of sugar in a 20 oz bottle of pop. 

To get a sense of sugar amounts, Freedhoff suggests that consumers take the number of grams of sugar on a package and divide by four to get the number of teaspoons.
Yang’s findings add to a growing body of rigorous studies that demonstrate added sugar "is not as benign as once presumed," Schmidt said.

"Proponents of sugar taxes and sugar controls have a new arrow in their quiver and it's this linkage to
deadly heart disease," Moss said. "That's a very powerful tool in the hands of policymakers."
Schmidt notes that the American Heart Association recommends no more than 25 grams a day or six teaspoons of sugar (five per cent of a 2,000-calorie a day diet) and 38 grams or nine teaspoons a day for men (7.5 per cent of daily calories).

In 2005, a panel at the Institute of Medicine, which advises the Canadian and U.S. governments, recommended added sugar make up less than 25 per cent of total calories. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends less than 10 per cent.

Expert committees from the Institute of Medicine have concluded there’s no evidence of harm attributed to current sugar consumption levels, the Canadian Sugar Institute said in a statement to CBC News.
A spokeswoman for the trade group said Canadian sugar intakes are about 11 per cent of total calories. "There is no magic number because our age, gender and activity levels are all different."
In the study, 831 people died from heart disease during the 15-year followup. The researchers took
other factors that contribute to heart problems, including smoking, inactivity and excess weight into account.

Reference: MSN

Schedule your dental visit today, for the health of your smile, your body and your future! 

Brian S. Nylaan, D.D.S. 

Healthy Smile Series: Don’t cry foul!

Bad breath is treatable

A lot of people are embarrassed by bad breath, but it is a problem that can usually be solved. Certain foods and beverages can cause bad breath. When strong foods like onions and garlic are the cause, bad breath is only temporary. However, some people suffer from more permanent and lasting breath problems.

The causes of bad breath

Most bad breath, also known as halitosis, is caused by incomplete or insufficient oral hygiene, along with eating foods that contribute to bad breath. What you eat affects the air you exhale. Certain foods contribute to bad breath. Once the food is absorbed into the bloodstream, it is transferred to the lungs, where it is expelled.

Brushing, flossing and mouthwash will mask the odor only temporarily. Odors continue until the body eliminates the food. Dieters may develop unpleasant breath from infrequent eating.

Dry mouth

Another common cause of bad breath is dry mouth, which happens when the flow of saliva decreases. Saliva is necessary to cleanse the mouth and remove particles that may cause odor. Dry mouth happens naturally when you sleep. You may refer to it when you wake as “morning breath.” It is generally worse in those people who are “mouth breathers” or sleep with their mouths open and those who tend to snore more often.

Dry mouth also may be caused by certain medications, salivary gland problems, cancer chemotherapy, or head and neck radiation treatments. It also is simply more common to have dry mouth as you age. If you suffer from dry mouth, your dentist may prescribe artificial saliva or suggest using sugarless candy and increasing your fluid intake.

And smokers? Almost all people who use tobacco have bad breath. Talk to your dentist about ways to kick the habit.

Gum disease

Bad breath also may be a sign that you have other mouth issues, such as tooth decay or gum disease. One of the warning signs of gum disease is bad breath or a bad taste in the mouth. Gum disease is caused by plaque, the sticky, colorless film of bacteria that constantly forms on teeth.

The bacteria create toxins that irritate the gums. In the advanced stage of the disease, the gums, bone and other structures that support the teeth become damaged. With regular dental checkups, your dentist can detect and treat gum disease early. Sometimes, bad breath can be a sign of a more serious health issue. If your bad breath has a particular reoccurring odor; perhaps fishy, fruity or like ammonia, you might need to see your physician.

Diagnosis and treatment

When you eat, minute particles of food get trapped between your teeth and in tiny grooves and bumps on your tongue. That’s why proper brushing and flossing are the first line of defense against bad breath.

Many people use mouthwash to combat bad breath, but most over-the counter rinses are just a temporary mask and do not solve the underlying problem. Your local West Michigan Dental Society member dentist may recommend a medicated mouthwash instead. With good care on your part and professional care from your dentist, you can combat bad breath and enjoy life with confidence.

Brought to you by the 600 members of the West Michigan District Dental Society in Kent, Ottawa, Ionia, Montcalm and Mecosta counties. West Michigan District Dental Society dentists are also members of the Michigan Dental Association.

For more information visit our website; Office of Brian Nylaan facebook page; or Brian S. Nylaan, D.D.S. facebook page.

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Healthy Smile Series: VELscope® Oral Cancer Screening

Oral cancer is often deemed the “forgotten disease,” because it kills more people than testicular cancer, cervical cancer and cancer of the brain each year and receives little publicity in return. Each year, over 30,000 Americans contract oral cancer, and only 57% of these people will live for more than five years without treatment.

Many people believe that if they abstain from tobacco and alcohol use, oral cancer will not affect them. Tobacco and alcohol use does contribute to oral cancer; however, 25% of those diagnosed abstain from both substances.

The best way to stay protected from oral cancer is to get annual oral cancer screenings. Most dentists perform an oral cancer exam during a regular dental checkup. The FDA-approved VELscope^® offers dentists another examination tool to help detect oral cancer in its earliest stages. The VELscope^® is a blue excitation lamp, which highlights precancerous and cancerous cell changes.

How does the VELscope^® work?

The VELscope^® uses Fluorescence Visualization (FV) in an exciting new way. Essentially, bright blue light is shone into the mouth to expose changes and lesions that would otherwise be invisible to the naked eye. One of the biggest difficulties in diagnosing oral cancer is that its symptoms look similar to symptoms of less serious problems. The VELscope^® System affords the dentist important insight as to what is happening beneath the surface.

The healthy soft tissue of the mouth naturally absorbs the VELscope^® frequency of blue light. Healthy areas beneath the surface of the soft tissue show up green, and the problem areas become much darker.

Here are some of the advantages of using the VELscope^® System:

• Can be combined with digital photography.
• Detects lesions, white and red patches.
• Detects problem areas that cannot be seen under white light.
• Exposes precancerous and cancerous tissue.
• FDA-approved.
• Helps dentists check that diseased soft tissue is completely removed.
• Helps diagnose oral cancer in its earliest stages, exponentially increasing the chance of survival.
• Quick, painless examinations.

How is the VELscope^® examination performed?

The VELscope^® examination literally takes only two or three minutes. It is a painless and noninvasive procedure that saves many lives every single year.

Here is a brief overview of what a VELscope^® examination is like:

Initially, the dentist will perform a regular visual examination of the whole lower face. This includes the glands, tongue, cheeks and palate as well as the teeth. Next a pre-rinse solution is swilled around the mouth for slightly less than a minute. The dentist provides special eyewear to protect the integrity of the retinas. The lights in the room are dimmed to allow a clear view of the oral cavity.

The small VELscope^® is bent to project blue light inside the mouth. Lesions and other indicators of oral cancer are easily noticeable because they appear much darker under the specialized light.

If symptoms are noted, the dentist may take a biopsy there and then to determine whether or not this is oral cancer. The results of the biopsy dictate the best course of action from there. Otherwise, another oral cancer screening is performed in one year’s time.

If you have any questions or concerns about oral cancer screening or the VELscope^® system, please contact our office.

Healthy Smile Series: Why Are Dental Fillings So Important?

We try to brush and floss regularly, and to avoid sugary between-meal snacks... but sometimes we just can't seem to avoid tooth decay.

According to a branch of the National Institutes of Health, tooth decay is the #1 chronic disease of children and adults in America. If you haven't had one cavity by the age of 17, be proud: your select group comprises just 22% of the U.S. population! For most other people, cavities are a fact of life.

Another fact of life is the dental filling, a time-tested and effective way to keep tooth decay from doing further damage. True to its name, the filling seals up the small hole in your tooth that decay-causing bacteria have created.

It's one of the most common dental treatments dentists perform: Every time you go to the dentist office, you are checked to see if you have a cavity that needs filling, even if you don't notice anything wrong. Why does your dentist care so much?


It's simple: If your tooth is left untreated, the decay wouldn't go away — it would spread deeper inside the tooth. When it reached the pulp (nerve) tissue of the root canal, it would begin to cause real discomfort, or even intense tooth pain. The infection could spread further, and might result in the loss of a tooth — a complicated (and costly) problem to remedy. Isn't it better to stop decay now with a simple procedure?