CAVITY-CAUSING BACTERIA CAN BE TRANSMITTED TO BABIES!

Parents should be aware that bacteria that cause dental decay can be transmitted from adult to child by sharing eating utensils, or by the parent sucking on a baby’s pacifier to clean it. A study recently published in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, about the immunological benefits of adult saliva does not provide the full picture that adult saliva may also contain bacteria that causes decay, according to the American Dental Association. Read the whole article at link below
http://www.dental-tribune.com/articles/news/usa/13229_cavity-causing_bacteria_can_be_transmitted_to_babies.html

TODAY'S TOP TEN LIST

TODAY'S TOP TEN LIST
The ten most harmful habits for your teeth!

#10... Smoking. Cigarettes and  other tobacco products can stain teeth. There is a high correlation between smoking and periodontal disease. Also tobacco can cause oral cancer.

#9....Binging and Purging. Purging after binging brings strong stomach acids into  contact with your teeth. These strong acids can erode your teeth.

#8... Grinding Your Teeth. Grinding or bruxing can wear down your teeth and make them prone to fracture. It is often caused by stress and most people do it in their sleep.

#7...Tongue Piercing. Biting down on a metal stud can crack or chip your teeth.

#6...Bottles at Bedtime. Giving a baby a bottle of juice or milk at bedtime can lead to extensive decay in baby teeth. The baby falls asleep with his or her teeth covered with sugar.

#5 ...Ice Chewing. It's natural and sugar free but it is not harmless. Munching on hard ice cubes might feel good but it can crack and brake teeth.

#4...Gummy Candy. All sugar treats promote decay. Sticky gummy candy can stick to your teeth longer keeping the sugar in contact with the enamel surfaces of your teeth for a longer period of time. Thus increasing the chance of decay.

3...Opening Plastic Packages with Your Teeth... Opening bottles or plastic wrappers with your teeth may be convenient but it is a habit that makes dentist cringe. Using your teeth as a tool may cause them to crack or brake.

#2...Drinking Coffee and Red Wine. The acids in coffee and red wine can eat away at the surface of your teeth making your teeth mote vulnerable to stain and decay.

And the #1 Most Harmful Habit for your Teeth is

CONSTANT SNACKING. Snacking which also includes drinking fruit juices and soda. Constant snacking on these and any other sweet foods expose your teeth to high concentrations of sugars. These sugars are converted into acids which which attack and destroy your teeth.

Below is a link to an article that recently appeared in the New York Times. It's about this "wonderful, new dental technology". This technology allows a dentist, like me, who own a CEREC machine to make new crowns for their patients in o

ne hour. I think it's great that the Times would write an article about the CEREC system but I wish they were timely. I have owned my CEREC machine for 8 years. My patients have been taking advantage of this "new" technology since 2004. In fact one of my first postings on my Facebook account was about the wonderful CEREC system. Better late then never!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/08/a-new-tooth-made-to-order-in-under-an-hour/

New Info on Periodontal Disease

A recent study found that 50% of people over 30, have some form of periodontal disease. The CDC collected data from their National Health and Nutrition Survey and found that 47.5% or 67 million people, over the age of 30 have some form of periodontal disease. In people over 65 that number jumps to 70%. The disease is more common in men then women. There is a higher level  in smokers and people living below the federal poverty level. People with less then a high school education are more likely to have it.

We now know that periodontal disease is one of the most prevalent and non contagious chronic diseases. Similar to cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Another Reason to Quit Smoking

Another reason to stop smoking. Researchers have found that nicotine increases the growth of decay forming bacteria. They exposed 7 strains of strep mutans, which are the decay forming bacteria which live and breed in plaque. Bacteria exposed to nicotine caused the plaque to thicken and increased the metabolism of the bacteria. Increasing the metabolism increased the acid production. The acid produced by the bacteria erodes the enamel of teeth leading to tooth decay

Sleep Apnea Linked to Cancer

Recently two studies reveled  a link between sleep apnea and cancer. A study at the University of Wisconsin found that patients with servere sleep apnea were five times more likely to develope cancer of some type. Patients with moderate sleep apnea were two times more likely to develope cancer.

Another study from the Spainish Sleep Network looked at five thousand people over seven years and found 65% of those with sleep apnea developed some type of cancer.

Greater deprivation of oxygen during sleep makes patients more likely to develope  cancer. Doctors recommend patients with signs of sleep apnea, such as snoring and fatigue should be tested.

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