Tongue Rings and Gum Disease

A new study published in the March Journal of Periodontology found that extended wear of tongue jewelry (barbell-type) could increase your chance of gum recession and tooth chipping.

Researchers from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry and Ohio State University College of Dentistry examined and surveyed 52 young adults with pierced tongues. They found gum recession in 35 percent of subjects with pierced tongues for four or more years, and in 50 percent wearing long-stemmed barbells for two or more years.

"During tongue movement, long-stem barbells are more likely to reach and damage the gums than short barbells," said Dr. Dimitris Tatakis, professor of periodontology at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry and coauthor of the study. "Over time, this damage may cause the gums to recede, which can lead to more serious dental/oral complications."

Additionally, 47 percent of young adults wearing either type of barbell for four or more years had chipped teeth. The prevalence of tooth chipping was significantly greater in those wearing short-stemmed barbells (1/4 inch - 5/8 inch) for four or more years.

Researchers believe tooth chipping is a result of habitual biting of the barbell. "A short barbell is possibly easier to position between teeth, which could be one reason why we are seeing more chipped teeth in this group," said Tatakis. "Another factor that was not investigated could be the size or material type of the screw caps attached to the barbell."

Dr. Timothy Roberts from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in New York presented study results on 4,500 adolescents aged 12 to 21 and found that teens with body piercings are more likely to smoke cigarettes, use drugs and exhibit other types of unhealthy behavior. Study findings were presented at the Society of Adolescent Medicine's annual meeting in Boston.

"Mouth piercings and smoking combined could cause a mouthful of trouble," said Dr. Kenneth Bueltmann, president of the American Academy of Periodontology. "As a smoker, you are more likely than nonsmokers to have calculus on your teeth, deep pockets between your teeth and gums and loss of the bone and tissue that support your teeth. Combine these problems with gum recession from tongue piercing and you are on your way to having a serious infection called periodontal disease and not to mention a not so cool looking mouth."

"Given this new information, I strongly recommend discussing potential risk factors with your dentist before mouth piercing," said Bueltmann. "Additionally, anyone with a pierced mouth should receive a thorough oral examination of their gums and teeth to identify problem areas. Taking precautions now will increase your chance of keeping your teeth for a lifetime instead of needing dentures like many of your grandparents."

In addition to periodontal diseases (serious bacterial infections that destroy the attachment fibers and supporting bone that hold your teeth in your mouth) tongue piercing may cause other complications such as t ongue swelling, difficulties with chewing, swallowing and speech, increase of saliva flow, localized tissue overgrowth and metal hypersensitivity.

Article from the American Acadamey of Periodontology

Brush your teeth, it could save your life

From Reuters:

WASHINGTON - People with the germiest mouths are the most likely to have heart attacks, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.

A study that compared heart attack victims to healthy volunteers found the heart patients had higher numbers of bacteria in their mouths, the researchers said. Their findings add to a growing body of evidence linking oral hygiene with overall health. Oelisoa Andriankaja and colleagues at the University at Buffalo in New York were trying to find if any particular species of bacteria might be causing heart attacks. Their tests on 386 men and women who had suffered heart attacks and 840 people free of heart trouble showed two types — Tannerella forsynthesis and Prevotella intermedia — were more common among the heart attack patients.

But more striking, the people who had the most bacteria of all types in their mouths were the most likely to have had heart attacks, they told a meeting of the International Association of Dental Research in Miami. "The message here is that even though some specific periodontal pathogens have been found to be associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, the total bacterial pathogenic burden is more important than the type of bacteria," Andriankaja, now at the University of Puerto Rico, said in a statement. "In other words, the total number of 'bugs' is more important than one single organism."

Doctors are not sure how bacteria may be linked with heart attacks but several studies have shown associations between gum disease and heart disease. Bacteria may set off general inflammation that in turn causes blood to clot.

Copyright 2009 Reuters.

February is Dental Health Month

This month is dental health month. To do out part in spreading the word about the connection of total body health and of common diseases, such as, heart and diabetes, to oral disease we are giving presentations to many area school 1st graders. These presentation, given by my oral health team, give children the knowledge and excitement to be active in brushing, flossing, rinsing, and caring about their oral health. The response of the children to our presentations has been VERY positive and we look forward to doing more presentations throughout the next few months in order to help out community become more educated as to the importance of oral health.

Bad Breath (Halitosis)

Certain foods, health conditions and habits are among the causes of bad breath. In many cases, you can improve bad breath with proper dental hygiene. But, if simple self-care techniques don't solve the problem, you may want to see your dentist to be sure a more serious condition isn't causing your bad breath.

At our practice we use a system called CloSYS as a treatment for bad breath. It consists of a toothpaste, mouthwash, oral spray, and, most importantly, a tongue scraper. Accumulation of bacteria on the tongue, between the small buds (papilla) on your tongue is usually the main cause of odor. Physically removing a majority of these bacteria with a tongue scraper can greatly increase the effectiveness of the rinse.

Please contact our office at (989)686-9600 to set up an appointment to discuss your problem and to purchase the necessary products to make your breath smell fresh.

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.

Now that Christmas season is here with all the snow, I thought I might discuss treatment options for missing teeth.

In general there are 3 options for replacement of a missing tooth.

1. The best treatment is an implant. This is metal (titanium) root placed into the jaw bone with a crown attached. This tooth is not removable and can be cared for just like a natural tooth.

2. Next is a bridge. This treatment uses the teeth next to the open space to "bridge" the gap. It requires crowns to be placed on the neighboring teeth with a false tooth attached. A bridge is also not removable, but connects at least 3 teeth together making cleaning more of a challenge.

3. Lastly is a removable partial denture. This is a removable appliance, either made of plastic or metal, that is custom made for your mouth. It has false teeth attached to it to fill the space or spaces. This appliance must be removed for cleaning daily and is not permanently attached in your mouth.

If you have any questions or would like to visit me to discuss any of your dental concerns please call us at 989-686-9600 or visit our website www.azgdds.com for more information on treatments we provide and contacting us.

New software

Our practice recently upgraded the computer software that controls all aspects of your care at our practice. It has gone very smoothly so far, but, as with any major change, there is bound to be a little learning curve. Please be patient with my staff as we work to learn the software, but most likely it won't even be noticed.

Welcome!

This is the first post for my practice newsletter. My hope is that you, my patients, can use this site to learn about important oral health information as well as any excitement happenings at the practice.

Also, I would like you all to visit the website I created for our practice at www.azgdds.com

There you will find more information on our practice, what we can do for you, and how you can contact us.

Thank you,

Dr. Green

www.azgdds.com