Listen to your mouth

Most people have heard it is important to brush and floss. However, people might not realize poor oral health can indicate current or future health problems.  

HEALTH IMPACT OF GUM DISEASE 

Studies have shown people with gum disease are at higher riskto develop heart disease and have more difficulty controlling blood sugars. 

LINK BETWEEN ORAL HEALTH, DIABETES? 

People with diabetes have a higher risk for developing infections, including gum disease. They also have issues with wound healing, so an infected gum or decayed tooth can contribute to a larger issue if not properly treated.


WHAT ABOUT CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE? 

While some studies have shown people with poor oral healthare at higher risk for heart disease, there still is research to be done in this area. My advice to patients is it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

 

WHAT ABOUT PREGNANT WOMEN? 

Hormone changes that occur during pregnancy can increase therisk of gum disease and can affect the health of a developing fetus. It’s best to avoid dental treatments during the first trimester and second half of the third trimester, so you should see the dentist before getting pregnant.

Good oral hygiene includes brushing twice daily, regular flossing and dental check-ups and cleanings. Quitting smoking also can have a big impact on oral health.

If you have questions about your oral health, talk to your physician, who can provide answers and help you find a good dentist and dental team. 

Schedule a dental appointment. 

 Reference: 

By Dr. Hilary Schmid Metro Health 

Family Practice, Metro Health Cedar Springs

Grand Rapids Press 

THREE MONTHS TO HEALTHY

When it comes to our health, most of us make a fresh start with the new year. But fall may be an even better time to focus on wellness: You’re not mentally spent from the holidays, and with a bit of effort now, you can go into the crazy season feeling energized and fit. To help you kick things off, Parade dug into the latest research to find 12 simple, proven ways to keep you and your family healthy. Start today, next week, or even next month—and reap the benefits by New Year’s. 

Things to do today ~


Eat breakfast.
The evidence linking a hearty breakfast and a healthy weight keeps getting more convincing: Earlier this year, Israeli scientists put 93 overweight or obese women on a 1,400-calorie-a-day diet and told one group to eat half of those calories at breakfast and the other to eat half at dinner.

Those who ate the big breakfasts lost 10 pounds more after 12 weeks than those who ate the big dinners; they also had lower levels of fats in their blood and better blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of heart attack and type 2 diabetes. One study suggests that half-carb, half-protein breakfasts are the most effective for weight loss—think scrambled eggs with a slice of whole wheat toast. 

Ease stress with sound.

And make it the right kind of sound: In one 2013 study, research­ers played either classical choral music, sounds of rippling water, or nothing at all for three groups of subjects before making them speak and do arithmetic in front of an audience. Those who listened to the water before performing stayed the calmest, producing the lowest amount of the stress hormone cortisol, which has been associated with type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Don’t live near a stream?

Download a free running water app, such as Fluid Free Live Wallpaper or Koi Pond, on your smartphone. 

Cut down on salt.

(But not as much as you think.) In May, the Institute of Medicine assessed the published research on salt and concluded that Americans— who on average consume about 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day—should reduce their intake to 2,300 milligrams daily to minimize cardiovascular risks. In a controversial twist, the institute did not find enough evidence to support the American Heart Association’s blanket recommendation to decrease salt consumption to 1,500 milligrams a day.

The best way to lower your intake? Skip processed foods like bread, cold cuts, and pizza—salt added at the table or during cooking contributes very little overall.

Things to do Next Week ~

Stick to an exercise schedule. 

Last November, scientists at the National Cancer Institute and other institutions analyzed data from more than 650,000 people and found that those who exercised moderately at least 2.5 hours a week lived nearly three and a half years longer than those who never worked out. Interestingly, weight didn’t factor in: Slender but sedentary people died three years younger than obese folks who made time for physical activity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that ages 18 - 64 engage in at lest 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, per week, along with two sessions of muscle-strengthening exercises, such as Pilates, Zumba or weight lifting.

Use a dental irrigator. 

We all know that regular flossing is important—it’s a tried-and-true way to prevent gingivitis.

But consider adding an irrigator—which uses a stream of pulsating water to remove plaque from between teeth—to your oral hygiene routine. Irrigators are both effective at fighting plaque buildup and cavities and well suited for people with orthodontic devices or dental implants.  **if you are in need of a

dental irrigator our office recommend the Water Flosser by Water Pik. These can be purchased at our office, or at your local retailer. We do recommend making the purchase through a dental office, as this extends your warranty period and most often there are rebates available through Water Pik that are only offered to dental offices.

 

 

Things to do by the end of the Year ~

Volunteer.

 

Philanthropy is all about helping others, but who says you can't get something out of it, too?  A meta-analysis of five long term studies published in August reported that people who volunteered were, on average, 22% less likely to die over a period of four - seven years than similar people who didn't volunteer. "Helping others may lower some well-known cardiovascular risk markers," says study author Hannah Schreier, PhD, A post doctoral fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. 

Buy more houseplants. 

The inside of your home is often more polluted than the outside, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That’s because we generate toxic fumes when we cook and clean. But researchers at NASA and other institutions have shown that certain houseplants effectively reduce home levels of pollutants—even cancer-causing ones such as formaldehyde and benzene. Two great choices, they found, were gerbera daisies and ficuses.


Reference:
Grand Rapids Press - Parade
By Melinda Wenner Moyer
 
 

Live longer and better

1. Which of these is most likely to improve your memory after age 50?

( a) Solving crossword or Sudoku puzzles ( b) Going on regular walks ( c) Taking ginkgo biloba supplements

Answer: (b). Human brains typically shrink with age, impairing memory (and explaining why your car keys keep disappearing). But a revelatory study published in October found that physically active older people experienced less brain shrinkage than sedentary seniors, even those who engaged in “mentally stimulating” activities like puzzles.


2. What’s the best treatment for creaky, arthritic knees?

( a) Sitting down ( b) Taking glucosamine supplements ( c) Doing tai chi ( d) Taking shark cartilage pills

Answer: (c). In controlled experiments, glucosamine and shark cartilage have failed to reliably relieve knee pain, but a 2011 review of multiple studies of tai chi—that famously flowing series of stretches and poses—concluded that it is generally effective at controlling pain and improving physical function.


3. Which of these two habits could shave the most time off your life?

( a) Watching TV ( b) Smoking

Answer: (a). According to a surprising new analysis of health records published in October, every hour that an adult over 25 spends sitting and watching television can cut about 22 minutes from his or her life span; smoking a cigarette aan reduces life span by about 11 minutes. The reason, according to the scientists who conducted the study, is that hours of sitting lead to an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease and so may have an even greater impact on longevity than smoking.

4. True or false: If you’re middle aged and have spent the past 20 years smoking, avoiding exercise, ears exercise, or otherwise being unhealthy, it’s too late to change now.

Answer: False.

Recent research shows that people who quit smoking by age 40 gained nearly 10 years of life over those who continued to puff. And a 2012 study by researchers at the Cooper Institute in Dallas concluded that people who started to exercise in middle age—even if they only walked a few times a week—were healthier further into old age than people who never started exercising.


5. True or false: To feel younger, just open your window blinds.

Answer: True.

Looking out a window onto natural, outdoorsy scenes may reduce blood pressure and other markers of stress, several new studies show. More remarkably, in a 2009 experiment reported in the Lancet, older people in Hong Kong who lived near open, green spaces had longer telomeres, a portion of the DNA strand that often shortens and frays with age. In effect, they had younger cells.

6. As you age, volunteering can:

(a) Decrease depression ( b) Improve your sex life ( c) Both of the above

Answer: (c). It’s well established that middle-aged and older people who spend time volunteering are less prone to depression, but it was a pleasant surprise when University of Pittsburgh researchers found that a sense of “higher purpose” in life, often achieved through volunteering, led women to report more enjoyable sex lives.


7. If you’re physically active and sociable, you can expect to add how many years to your life span?

( a) 0.8 ( b) 1.5 ( c) 3.6 (d) 5.4

Answer: (d). According to a major 2012 study in the British Medical people 75 or older who “swam, walked, or did gymnastics” (meaning, in Brit speak, they attended stretching and toning classes) and who had a “rich or moderate social network” lived more than five years longer than people who were isolated and sedentary. Even “the oldest old,” past age 85, could expect an extra four years of life if they remained active

8. If you’re a woman 40 or older and worried about improving bone health or avoiding falls, you might want to take up:

 

(a) Running (b) Soccer (c) A cane

Answer: (b) scientists in Denmark recently had one group of sedentary adult women join a soccer league and another group start running for 14 weeks. Afterward, the soccer players had gained more bone mass in their legs, and had better leg muscle strength and balance, than the runners. (Plus, their kids were undoubtedly impressed.)

9. What’s the best way to motivate yourself to be physically active after age 40?

( a) Join a gym ( b) Adopt a dog ( c) Cut out a photo of first lady Michelle Obama’s biceps ( d) Hire a personal trainer

 

Answer: (b). In a recent Canadian study of people up to age 80, dog owners were found to walk about 300 minutes per week, almost twice as many as those without a canine. The dog owners were also significantly more likely to follow through on an “intention” to walk, because who could say no to that face?

10. Finally, as inspiration: In 2011, a runner at the Toronto Marathon became the oldest person ever to finish a race of that distance. He was:

( a) 72 ( b) 86 ( c) 91 ( d) 100

Answer: (d). Fauja Singh, a durable centenarian, set a world record by crossing the finish line in 8 hours, 25 minutes, and 16 seconds. Nine younger whippersnappers finished after him.

 

 Also see our blog post:  More than dental care we believe in your overall health

Reference: Grand Rapids Press Parade by Gretchen Reynolds

Can chewing tobacco cause cavities?

A friend asked how her husband has so many more cavities than herself. They eat the same meals; drink the same beverages, brush and floss at the same times. The only difference is he chews tobacco. He knows this puts him at risk for oral cancer and has the VELScope evaluation performed annually, but had no idea how much sugar was in chewing tobacco. I did not realize how much sugar was in chewing tobacco either until I started researching.

 

Sugar is not natural to the tobacco leaf.  It was added by the tobacco companies to improve the flavor and sales. The flavor was added by the tobacco companies to give the chewing tobacco a better taste so people wouldn’t have to spit, but could just swallow the juice produced.

Depending on the brand and how much one chews, there could be from 3 tsp to 16 tablespoons of sugar (if one chews up an entire can of the stuff). That could be up to 32 packets of sugar!  Plug tobacco was better at 12 teaspoons of sugar added per plug. That is still 6 packets of sugar! 

 

There are many names for chewing tobacco. You can call it smokeless tobacco, spit tobacco, chew, snuff, pinch or dip, but don't call it harmless. Chewing tobacco can cause serious health problems. Many people realize there is a concern of oral cancer with chewing tobacco. However, there are many other health risks involved with chewing tobacco. Chewing tobacco can cause gum recession and mouth sores. It can also cause stomach ulcers if the juice is swallowed. The nicotine causes vasoconstriction leading to high blood pressure and heart diseases such as cardiac ischemia (not enough oxygen to the heart), angina pectoris (constricting pain in the chest) and acute myocardial infarction (nonreversible damage to the heart muscle by a heart attack). Nicotine has been shown to increase heart rate and contribute to clotting within the blood vessels.

 

So again, simple activities such as chewing tobacco have a bigger impact on your body that goes well beyond what it does to your teeth.  This habit could seriously impact your health in many ways besides the impact of poor nutrition from tooth loss.  This is why our office encourages healthy habits for your entire body, not just your mouth.

 

View our earlier Blog Post - Oral Cancer survivor urges tax increase on smokeless tobacco

 

 Schedule an appointment for your dental evaluation and VELscope testing.

references:  Medicine simply put; Dip Stop; National Cancer Institute