How the "Foods of Commerce" Have Shaped Us From where we sit, getting dinner on the table is a piece of cake compared to what faced early man. We "hunt" at the grocery store, "forage" in the produce department, and "stalk" hamburger joints. What we end up eating, though, may be far less nutritious than the food ancient man dished up. How can this be? Well, we may be living longer and rarely do battle with tigers and bears for a meal, but our [...]
What's Wrong with Sucking Your Thumb? Most parents of preschoolers are engaged in the "battle of the thumb." The thumb usually wins hands down. Continuous pressure on teeth from sucking can affect bone growth or even change the shape of the roof of the mouth. Upper teeth are sometimes pushed out while bottom teeth are pushed in. Speech and swallowing may also be affected. What's a parent to do? Generally, a positive approach is the best defense in helping your child conquer the habit. [...]
When Bad Breath is Something to Worry About Morning breath...dragon mouth...onion breath...there are about as many descriptions of halitosis as there are reasons for it occurring. Chronic bad breath is usually not just too much garlic for lunch. Here's a list of common bad breath causes, and what you might consider doing about each: Garlic or other Strong Smelling Foods If your breath overreacts, go easy on these foods. Following them with mints or parsley has little effect, and may make matters worse. From [...]
Ever since the invention of the mirror, people have been looking for an easy way to have whiter teeth. Brushing, flossing, and regular dental visits help by removing stains and deposits on the surface of the teeth. But for those patients whose teeth have dark, yellow or other internal discolorations, teeth whitening may be the answer. At about age thirty, there is a natural tendency for tooth color to dim, and if you smoke or overindulge in coffee or soda, darkening can be dramatic. [...]
Inflammation is the fire your body builds to burn out attackers like bacteria, viruses or parasites. If you've ever gotten a scratch that grows swollen and hot to the touch you've encountered acute, or temporary, inflammation. Then the healing begins. Far more serious is chronic inflammation (CI). It's like a fire inside your body that never goes out and increasingly researchers are recognizing it as a significant factor contributing to heart disease. A simple blood test for chronic inflammation focuses on C-reactive protein (CRP), [...]
Your salivary glands make up to three pints a day of this fantastic fluid. Why so much? Because saliva plays an important role in keeping your teeth and gums fit and smiling. Saliva helps fight cavities by prevent food from sticking to teeth and gums, it also helps neutralize stomach acid preventing heartburn. Saliva even helps strengthen teeth by providing supplemental calcium and phosphorus. Unfortunately, some people are plagued by chronic dry mouth, often called xerostomia. While medical professionals no longer believe that old [...]
As modern dentistry continues to improve, children can expect entirely different dental experiences than Mom and Dad remember from childhood. Fluorides and sealants have virtually eliminated rampant decay problems. For kids nowadays, dental care is be a piece of cake. Baby teeth do grown-up duty Primary teeth work hard. Those 20 teeth pave the way for permanent teeth. If they're lost prematurely, replacement teeth can crop up in unexpected—and unhealthy—places. Keep every tooth you can in that young noggin. Accidents Happen Despite parent's best [...]
Osteoporosis, the loss of bone mass as we age, could affect half of all Americans over 50 by 2020. It is defined as bone loss of about 25 percent, which results in fragile bones that fracture easily. Its reputation as an old person's disease stems from the fact that bone loss doesn't hurt and osteoporosis victims can go years without a clue they are susceptible to the condition. You can guard against bone loss even if factors outside your control put you in one [...]
If You Have a Dental Fear Let's say you visit the dentist faithfully, and enjoy a high level of health. And yet, just before an appointment, you experience sweaty palms, increased heart rate, and you feel jittery and nervous. You—and 150 million other people—have a touch of dental fear. Dentistry today, with all the benefits of technology and technique, is virtually pain-free. So why are we jumpy? Lots of reasons. Maybe a bad experience from long ago lingers in the memory. Families can also [...]
Get Your Vitamins! Vitamin C is an extremely important in dentistry (and nutrition in general) because of how it helps control periodontal disease and other problems in the mouth. For one thing, Vitamin C—ascorbic acid—seems to help calcium do its job of halting the loss of bone. Animal studies at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine have shown that Vitamin C can inhibit bone shrinkage by 50% or more. But Vitamin C does a lot more than that! It's essential to construct the protein [...]
