Important Vitamins & Minerals for Oral Health

 

Vitamins and minerals are extremely important for your overall dental health. When there is a significant lack of Calcium for instance, the teeth will become weaker and start to erode. An inadequate dietary intake can affect your dental health, and the gums may become inflamed or the teeth become much weaker.

Vitamin A - this precious vitamin helps maintaining proper saliva flow so that bacteria are flushed away from the mouth. Also, Vitamin A maintains a healthy mucous membrane and mouth tissues. One of the best sources of Vitamin A include beef liver, sweet potatoes, melon, and spinach.

Vitamin B1 - helps maintaining the natural and healthy rose pink color of your gums, and it fights off tongue inflammation very successfully. Some of the best food sources containing Vitamin B1 include sunflower seeds, all sorts of vegetables and pork meat.

Vitamin B2 -is an extremely important vitamin for the prevention of cheilosis. This is condition when the corners of the mouth become fissured or start scaling. Mushrooms, milk products or lean steak are perfect sources of Vitamin B2.

It is important to mention that you can maintain proper dental health also if you start taking multivitamin capsules. Eat healthy and take these vitamins on a daily basis for at least a month to fuse your system with precious nutrients. Also, Vitamin B3 helps greatly fighting off gingivitis symptoms.

Vitamin B5 or Panthenoic Acid - patients who have undergone major dental health surgery, are advised to increase their Vitamin B5 intake as it helps with healing of the oral tissues in general. Some of the best food sources for this vitamin include liver, kidney, or egg yolks.

Folic Acid- or Vitamin B9 - is the best vitamin to help preventing inflammation of the tongue, and it also fights off the symptoms of chronic periodontitis. Also, patients with yeast infection problems are advised to increase their intake of Vitamin B9.

Top 5 Teeth Staining Culprits!

Culprit #1

Coffee and Tea. Many of us love a good old cup of Joe in the morning or a nice cup of tea. Unfortunately, drinking several cups per day will cause the tannin chemicals in coffee and tea to turn your teeth yellowish or a darker shade. If you must have that coffee or teas in the morning to get going, try to limit your intake to a cup per day. Avoid black coffee or tea - try milk-based choices if at all possible.


Culprit #2
Cigarettes. One of the worst offenders, cigarettes stain you teeth in multiple ways... not only do the effect of the tobacco leaves stain your teeth, the habit of smoking causes the smoker to continually expose the teeth to the staining process.


Culprit #3
Wine. Dark wines such as reds have the greatest staining impact on your teeth due to the dark purple colors found naturally in the grapes used for their production. Lighter wines have a lesser impact, but can still stain your teeth over time. Always try to rinse your mouth thoroughly with clear water after enjoying wine to minimize the staining impact of your vino.


Culprit #4
Soda / Pop / Cola. Whatever you call them, dark colored soft drinks can have a major staining effect on your teeth. The food coloring in soda heads right to the tooth and begins darkening almost immediately. If possible, limit your intake of soda, or enjoy lighter colored sodas. Using a straw to sip you soda can also help reduce the staining effect by reducing the contact between the soda and your teeth.


Culprit #5
Processed foods. Make processed foods are chocked full of chemicals and food colorants that make them look and taste mouth-wateringly yummy. Unfortunately, those artificial goodies are a big source of teeth staining badness. Don't believe us? Have a quick peek at your teeth after enjoying some chips or another snack. They'll most likely resemble the snack instead of their normal bright white selves.

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Do Men’s and Women’s Hearts Burn Fuel Differently?

“Because the heart is the body’s number-one consumer of fat, when it starts using fat differently, there are consequences throughout the entire body,”

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine will study gender differences in how the heart uses and stores fat—its main energy source—and how changes in fat metabolism play a role in heart disease, under a new $2 million, 4-year grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

When stressed, the heart changes how it uses fuel for energy. These changes may play a major role in the development of heart disease and are different in men and women, says E. Douglas Lewandowski, director of the UIC Center for Cardiovascular Research. The changes occur long before any symptoms, he said, and may be key to early diagnosis and treatment.

Lewandowski, who is principal investigator on the grant, uses imaging techniques he developed to see fat molecules and the rate at which they are being burned in beating hearts. In healthy hearts, the balance between using fat for energy and storing it in tiny droplets within the cells is in a dynamic equilibrium.

When a female heart is stressed, such as through chronic disease like hypertension, it becomes much less efficient at metabolizing fat, Lewandowski says. When a male heart is stressed, it starts using more sugar as fuel. These changes in the heart can also affect how fat is stored and used in other parts of the body.

sciencedaily.com

Study Pinpoints Target for TMJD

People with temporomandibular joint disorder may be in luck.

Researchers located a protein that is essential in TMJD pain. This could lead to treatment for this painful disorder.

This information from the Duke Medicine researchers appears in the August issue of PAIN.

There isn’t much information known about what prompts TMJD. The research team pinpointed TRPV4, which is an ion channel protein that enables calcium to enter cells. Its involvement with inflammation and pain was examined.

The research team looked at normal mice and mice that were genetically engineered without TRPV4. Inflammation and pain was then created in the temporomandibular joints, similar to the way it impacts humans.

The mice without TRPV4 had a lower reduction in bite force, indicating they experienced less pain. When there was an increase in TRPV4, the correlation was a larger reduction in bite force.

The research also provided a compound to the normal mice that blocked TRPV4. The ensuing discovery was that inhibiting TRPV4 produced smaller reductions in bite force. The results were comparable to the results from mice without TRPV4.

One bit of information that surprised researchers was the idea that there was comparable bone erosion and inflammation in the jaw tissue for all mice. The amount of TRPV4 did not impact this. Essentially the damage is the same but the pain level varies.

Based on this study, it’s possible the TRPV4 could be utilized to develop new treatment for TMJ issues.

TMJD is the most common form of oral and facial pain and afflicts more than 10 million Americans. The chronic disorder results in severe pain that stems from chewing or biting down. There are no full-proof treatments.

dentistrytoday.com

Inflammation Links Obesity and Gum Disease

Blood on your toothbrush can be a warning sign of gum disease. And, if you are overweight, it can indicate other serious health issues, such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

After reviewing previous research on gum disease and obesity, they found an association between both health problems – chronic inflammation,  described in a recent article in the Journal of General Dentistry, “Obesity and periodontitis: a link.”

Periodontitis, commonly called gum disease (and gingivitis in its milder form), affects nearly half the U.S. population over age 30, according to the American Academy of Periodontology. The disease ignites an inflammatory response as the body begins to fight off bacteria present in the dental plaque. If not treated, the inflammation eventually erodes the jawbone and loosens teeth. In severe cases, patients lose their teeth. The bacteria can also cause ulcers in the pocket surrounding the involved teeth and eventually enter the blood and settle in other parts of the body.

Being overweight can compound the problem, the researchers warn. Belly fat contains about 50 bioactive substances, which can set off inflammatory responses that reduce the body’s ability to suppress appetite or use insulin to regulate glucose levels–both of which are linked to diabetes.

Fat tissue can also increase production of the C-reactive protein (CRP) involved in the inflammation process and linked to cardiovascular disease.

www.stlamerican.com



A Glass of Milk After Eating Sugary Cereals May Prevent Cavities

Washing down sugary breakfast cereal with milk after eating reduces plaque acid levels and may prevent damage to tooth enamel that leads to cavities, according to new research at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry.

Dry ready-to-eat, sugar-added cereals combine refined sugar and starch. When those carbohydrates are consumed, bacteria in the dental plaque on tooth surfaces produce acids, says Christine Wu, professor of pediatric dentistry and director of cariology, who served as principal investigator of the study.

Reports have shown that eating carbohydrates four times daily, or in quantities greater than 60 grams per person per day, increases the risk of cavities.

The new study, performed by Wu’s former graduate student Shilpa Naval, involved 20 adults eating 20 grams of dry Froot Loops cereal, then drinking different beverages — whole milk, 100 percent apple juice, or tap water.

Plaque pH, or acidity, was measured with a touch microelectrode between the premolar teeth before eating; at two and five minutes after eating; and then two to 30 minutes after drinking a liquid.

The pH in plaque dropped rapidly after consuming cereal alone, and remained acidic at pH 5.83 at 30 minutes. A pH below 7 is acidic; a pH greater than 7 is basic. Pure water has a pH close to 7.

Participants who drank milk after eating sugary cereal showed the highest pH rise, from 5.75 to 6.48 at 30 minutes. Those who drank apple juice remained at pH 5.84 at 30 minutes, while water raised the pH to 6.02.

“Fruit juices are considered healthy food choices, but the added sugar can be a risk to dental health.”, Wu said.

“Our study results show that only milk was able to reduce acidity of dental plaque resulting from consuming sugary Froot Loops,” said Naval, who is currently a fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. “We believe that milk helped mitigate the damaging effect of fermentable carbohydrate and overcome the previously lowered plaque pH.”

Milk, with a pH ranging from 6.4 to 6.7, is considered to be a functional food that fights cavities because it promotes tooth remineralization and inhibits the growth of plaque, Wu said.

Wu says most consumers think that since milk is considered to be cavity-fighting, acid production by plaque bacteria can be minimized by mixing it with cereal. However, in an unpublished study in her lab, it was discovered that the combination of Froot Loops and milk became syrupy. Eating cereal combined with milk lowered plaque pH to levels similar to that obtained after rinsing with a 10 percent sugar solution.

Eating sugar-added cereal with milk, followed by drinking fruit juice is thus a highly cavity-causing combination, Wu said.

Diet plays an important role in oral health, Wu said. Studies of food intake and cavities have focused mainly on the sugar, or carbohydrate, content. Fewer studies have looked at how combinations of food, and the order in which they are eaten, may help fight cavities.

“Results from a previous study suggested that the last food item consumed exerts the greatest influence on subsequent plaque pH,” she said. For example, eating cheese after a sugary meal reduces acid production, and consumers can modify their diet in such a way as to prevent the cavity-causing effects of sugary foods.”

“If understood and implemented properly, food sequencing can be used as a public health educational tool to maintain and preserve good oral health,” said Naval.

Other contributors included Drs. Anne Koerber, Larry Salzmann, Indru Punwani, and Bradford Johnson, all of the dentistry faculty at UIC. The research was supported by the college’s pediatric dentistry department.

The research is published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association.

This entry was posted in Blog, Healthy Teeth, Tooth Decay and tagged 85014, Dr. Alan Ferguson, Drink Milk after eating sugary cereals, Phoenix Dentist, Prevent Cavities,Prevent Tooth Decay by admin. Bookmark the permalink.

Tooth Decay: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Tooth decay is caused when bacteria,acid, food particles and saliva mix together and form plaque that sticks to the teeth. If this plaque is not removed, it can lead to the complicating factors such as a cavity, a tooth abscess, tartar, gingivitis, and possibly periodontitis. This article will provide a look at the causes of tooth decay, the symptoms and also how you and your dentist can work to prevent and/or treat this condition.

Tooth Decay Causes And Symptoms

Tooth decay is a very common condition and can occur at any age but is more common in children and young adults. It comes about when normal bacteria of the mouth combines with acids, food particles and saliva resulting in plaque, a sticky substance that sticks to the teeth.

The acids in the plaque cause continual destruction of the enamel (outer layer of tooth) and dentin (layer below the enamel) with the formation of a cavity being seen. The tooth may continue to decay until it involves the pulp (layer below the dentin that contains the blood vessels and nerves), which can result in pain and cause the tooth to be destroyed and lost.

If the plaque is not removed it can mineralize into tartar and lead to irritation and inflammation of the gums (gingivitis) and possibly periodontitis, which is the inflammation and infection of the ligaments and bones that support the teeth.

Foods that contain carbohydrates such as sugar and starch put a person at higher risk for tooth decay.

Symptoms may include a dark spot or visible hole on the tooth surface, and the tooth may be painful or sensitive to heat or cold.

Tooth Decay Diagnosis And Treatment

Observation of the aforementioned symptoms may be noted and should be evaluated by a dentist. However, most cavities are discovered during a routine dental examination. The examination may include x-rays, which can detect cavities before they are visible on the surface of the tooth.

Treatment starts with preventative measures, which include good dental hygiene such as regular brushing, flossing, and regular check-ups by a dentist. A dentist or physician may prescribe fluoride tablets to be taken while the teeth are developing in a young child. Daily intake of refined carbohydrates or sugars should be minimized since they promote tooth decay.

If a cavity is found, the decayed tissue is removed from the tooth and replaced by a filling that is typically a material such as silver alloy, gold, porcelain or composite resin.

A crown or “cap” may be used by a dentist to treat tooth decay if the damage to the tooth is extensive or there is only a small amount of the normal tooth structure present.

A root canal is used when the nerve of the tooth dies. In this case, the pulp and the decayed section of tooth are removed and filled with a sealing material.

Take an active role in your health by learning all you can about Tooth Decay and Cavities.  Also, visit your dentist every six months!

healthgurutips.com