As we’ve learned time in and time out, the oral cavity is integrally and systematically linked to the health of various other bodily systems – here we are focusing on kidneys. The kidneys serve for the production of urine as their primary function, excreting unnecessary bodily fluids and compounds. Kidneys also have several secondary functions concerned with homeostatic functions. These include the regulation of electrolytes, acid-base balance, and blood pressure. If you have kidney problems, apart from the well-advertised urinary and homeostatic problems, your oral health could deteriorate as well!
Halitosis in Japan, 12th century
People with long-lasting (or even recently discovered) kidney problems often times have a bad taste in their mouths. Also related, they often have bad breath (halitosis). These problems – both of which are indicators of a serious problem in your system – occur because the kidneys fail to remove the organic compound urea from the blood. Urea breaks down to form ammonia, which has a pungent odor that is quickly noticeable; bone changes may also occur because the body cannot absorb calcium properly. Imbalanced calcium levels will weaken your bones, loosing bone from your jaw. Teeth may become loose or eventually fall out because of the calcium deficiency often resulting from kidney disease. The best way to help prevent bone loss is to make sure calcium and phosphorus levels stay within the goal range.
Anorexia, anemia, xerostomia, high blood pressure and heart disease, inflammation of the mouth, salivary glands and gum disease can all be symptoms and complications when dealing with kidney disease, apart from the influence of medication. When you have these symptoms, not only should a dental professional be contacted to provide dental examinations and treatment, but also a physical examination is needed. If you have kidney disease or are on dialysis, you should plan to receive any dental treatments on non-dialysis days for those on hemodialysis. Heperin, administered during hemodialysis, may cause some people to have prolonged bleeding. Kidney disease can also weaken the immune system and make us more susceptible to infection, so prophylactic antibiotics maybe needed before invasive dental treatment.
During the work up for a kidney transplant, a person will need to have a thorough oral examination. Any infection or disease of the gum or tooth can prevent someone from being eligible, or delay the transplant until the patient is free of gum and dental infection .
Keep up your home care program, brush and floss after every meal and follow a properly designed diet by your dietitian. Special dietary needs must be met if you have a compromised kidney condition. Regular visits to the dentist can also reduce the risk of oral infection and dental disease.
Did you know that dental diseases like periodontitis and even cavities are the most common diseases – apart from the common cold? It may surprise you, but enough people neglect their oral hygiene enough to make this an extremely common ailment, even though it’s an easily-preventable situation! These numbers are so high because most people who have some form of gum or tooth disease have no knowledge of it – and with 75% of the population having some form of periodontal disease, you must take careful attention when cleaning your mouth.
An Iraqi girl learns how to brush her teeth for the first time.
Dental decay is not much of an issue in modern society (thanks to fluoridated water and toothpaste), but a proper hygiene routine is still necessary to prevent gum disease and/or cavities. Brushing and flossing is essential, as this both cleans the smooth surfaces of the teeth, and also helps break up food particles and plaque in between the teeth and gum line. Gum disease starts in between the teeth, and some toothbrushes can’t reach critical areas necessary to be cleaned to prevent bacteria from growing.
Although gingivitis – the bacterial infection that invades your gums – is reversible, periodontitis is gum and bone disease, and is not irreversible! Because periodontal disease is so serious, and can only be managed under the strict supervision of a dental professional, it is important to understand just how periodontal disease can affect you. This disease has been linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other degenerative diseases that can be life threatening! I’ve blogged about periodontitis before, and I can’t stress enough how important and serious it can be to have regular cleanings and check-ups from a dental professional twice yearly. Periodontal disease can disfigure even the most beautiful of smiles. Your gums can be so swollen, receded and bloody that your teeth will look longer, will become loose and eventually will need removal. If you detect gum disease early, you will need a management program that includes regular treatment with your dentist and/or hygienist and solid home care to manage the disease.
Root planing and scaling is the common form of soft tissue management treatment, when a hygienist or dentist uses a precise tool to detoxify the tooth surfaces below the gum line and in between each tooth, and then rinses with antiseptic. With advanced technology, laser energy can also be utilized to remove diseased tissues and eliminate bacteria to allow healing to take place. Your dental professional will discuss the best treatment plan for you – a routine cleaning is not enough by itself to treat periodontal disease! You may need to visit your dental hygienist more often, up to four times per year in order to properly manage the disease. On a daily basis, a solid home care program (which should be designed by you and your dentist) will help you maintain your oral health. Besides brushing and flossing after every meal, other tools like prescription tooth brushes (like Rotadent) and water irrigators (like Hydrofloss) could be helpful for your hygiene routine. Antiseptic rinses like Tooth and Gum Tonic Herbal Rinse, a healthy diet and/or supplements and antioxidants like vitamin C and B can also help to fight and manage gum disease. Healthy gum supports a healthy smile, which supports a healthy body!
Healthy gum appears pink and firm. Brushing and flossing in the healthy stages of gum tissue will be a pleasant experience and there will be no bleeding. This is the phase that all gum tissue should be in if it is healthy and clean. Once gingivitis sets in (the beginning stages of gum disease), gums will take on a red and puffy look, and bleed easily upon brushing and flossing. Once gum disease progresses, the chances of returning to a healthy condition deceases drastically – once gum tissue has reached the advanced level, it is likely past of the point of no return and will result in tooth loss. Periodontal disease is the #1 reason of tooth loss.
Healthy gums and teeth
Gingivitis, which is the early stage of gum disease, if treated professionally (with an implemented solid home care program), gum can return to be healthy again without further consequences. So how do we categorize the stages of gum disease (besides the clinical characteristics)? A bleeding index and dental radiographs help, along with periodontal probing depths, which are universally used as guide to diagnose and monitor the progress of the treatment and condition of gum disease. The periodontal probing depths are obtained with a read-out, by lightly inserting a needle (thin and finely marked instrument) sliding between the space between the gum and tooth.
The stage of gingivitis.
Gingivitis, could have a normal pocket reading of 0 to 3 mm. Gum will be red, puffy, and tender, it will bleed easily and possibly exhibit bad breath and bad taste.
Early (mild) periodontitis will show a pocket reading range from 3 t o 5 mm. At this stage, gum gets more tender, bleeds more easily, and there is always looming bad breath and bad taste. At this stage of gum disease, immediate attention and treatment is required if there is any chance of reversing the condition to an easily-manageable and healthy state.
Mild Periodontitis
Moderate Periodontitis is characterized by a periodontal pocket depth of 5-7mm. Gum tissue may become even redder and puffier, it will bleed easily, and bad breath and bad mouth taste are constant.Often times teeth may begin to look longer as gum tissue recedes, and gum boils or abscesses may develop. Front teeth may begin to drift apart showing space or becoming loose.
Moderate Periodontitis
Advanced Periodotitis gets a pocket measurement of more than 7 millimeters, and may progress to 11 or 12 mm, indicating that bone and connective tissues have been continuously destroyed. This is the terminal stage of gum disease. If a patient has just been diagnosed with advanced periodontitis and the teeth are still firm (pockets are less than 9mm, with longer roots, and more localized condition), then there is possibility that with gum surgery and graft, bone regeneration still is possible. Keep in mind however, that the prognosis is guarded. In most situations, advanced periodontitis will result in tooth loss. Replacement implant therapy or other restorative options will be advised.
Advanced Periodontitis
Remember that prevention is the best treatment, especially for gum disease. You are the person who can best take care of yourself, be disciplined with your home care program (including hygiene) and schedule regular check-ups with both your dentist and dental hygienist who can help you stay away of big problems.
I canceled the trip to China – it’s just not worth the risk of being quarantined for a week! Swine Flu, also known as H1N1 Influenza, has been gaining interest in the news and at health organizations worldwide, and not for bad reason – at the moment, it is the Chinese government’s nightmare that an outsider will bring in swine flu, and that the pandemic will spread just as quickly as bird flu in densely populated China. The World Health Organization (WHO) on May 11 upgraded H1N1 to a “level 6 pandemic,” the highest grade of pandemic and the first global flu epidemic in 41 years.
Countries affected by H1N1 influenza
Swine Flu is in fact a mutated form of the common flu, which behaves like a seasonal influenza- H1N1 influenza is made up of genetic elements of four rather common flu virus. H1N1 is a type A virus, the most virulent human pathogens known that cause the most severe disease among humans. Type A viruses are more prone to widespread outbreak (as H1N1 has spread to 74 countries now). It is no surprise that airports and hospitals around the world have set up screening areas and quarantine rooms for suspected influenza carriers, so be prepared if you are planning on traveling, especially to a densely populated country. It is natural that lesser developed, densely populated countries must take flu pandemics seriously as they often lack the technology, medical manpower and/or resources necessary to keep a potentially large outbreak under control.
Swine Flu spreads faster but is less fatal than Bird Flu.
Although H1N1 influenza is currently present and spreading in both pigs and humans, and can spread quickly and silently from human-to-human, it is not transferable by eating cooked pork – don’t panic over that BLT! The CDC advises using regular soap and water or an alcohol-based hand cleanser frequently to clean your hands before touching your facial features (like the eyes, nose or mouth) to lower the risk of catching the flu.
“Normally the influenza virus is spread from person to person through droplets in the air — from a person with a cough for example,” said Dr. David Satcher, a professor at the Morehouse School of Medicine and former U.S. Surgeon General. Droplets in the air can be inhaled by another person, which is probably the most common way a virus spreads.
H1N1 Swine Influenza
Also posing a risk, he said, are items that have recently touched or handled by someone infected with the flu – a fork or a doorknob, for example. Some experts endorse occasionally disinfecting household surfaces and appliances with a diluted chlorine bleach solution. You should also disinfected your toothbrushes by soaking them in an OTC strength hydrogen peroxide ( 3% H2O2) for 10 minutes – or get new tooth brushes.
Once infected with the flu, it’s difficult to know what actual strain of influenza you may have. H1N1 flu symptoms are similar to the common flu: fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. It can be difficult to distinguish between the common cold and influenza in the early stages of infection, so if you experience any of these symptoms for a prolonged period, consider a visit to your primary health care physician for a check-up.
It might surprise you to learn that over 20 million individual teeth are extracted from American mouths every year – the devastating news is that many of these extractions could have been avoided. Once teeth “pass the point of no return,” costly implants or other techniques must be used to restore a person’s smile or chewing function properly – and if said person is unable to afford proper treatment, their missing teeth may cause subsequent dental problems or humiliation and devastating blows to his or her self-esteem, even harming job security, depending on what career path said person has taken.
The sad fact of the matter is that less than 10% of people suffering from tooth pain or other signs of future tooth loss ever see a dentist (or dental professional); because nearly all tooth loss is preventable, this is simply unacceptable! Dental phobia, the fear of being judged by a dentist or financial troubles are often contributing factors in why most people suffering from tooth pain never see a dentist, but the consequence of delaying (or avoiding all together) a dental check-up often results in edentulism (missing one or more teeth). Worst of all, oral health problems are systematic (meaning they can affect other systems or parts of the body), and problems grow with time, making the need to see your dentist that much more urgent if you are suffering from tooth pain.
Of course, tooth loss in rare incidences could be due to injury or genetic problems, mainly caused by poor oral hygiene, bad oral habits leading to tooth and gum disease and eventually tooth loss. For starters, brushing and flossing twice daily and after meals is essential! When food particles are left behind embedded between tooth crevices, bacteria begins a destructive process which eats away at your teeth and gum. Secondly, eating sugary, carbohydrate-laden foods and drinking sugary beverages [frequently] without prompt proper care can erode the enamel on your teeth, making you more prone to tooth loss and gum disease. Without timely dental care, these habits will lead to an untreatable situation and inevitable tooth loss. To prevent all that unpleasantness (and the costly consequences of tooth loss), the best solution is prevention. Prevention means having a terrific home care program, proper diet and habit and getting your regular dental cleanings and check ups every year. When the problem is small (or in a earlier stage of deterioration), problems are much easier to correct and restore. To the end the effort is all worthy, and having a healthy mouth is truly the foundation of good physical health (you can eat and digest healthy, high fibrous food) and mental health (self esteem and being able to smile with confidence)!
“Brushing for a healthy heart ” is a true statement – the link between gum disease (or the bacteria associate with the gum disease) and the body’s cardiovascular system is tight. Prophylactic measurements (like antibiotics before dental visits, for people who have a valve replacement) have been a practice in our society for quite some time, but German scientists presented a study last Monday (May 25, 2009) at the European Society of Human Genetics in Vienna, Austria confirming a link between gum disease and heart disease – simultaneously confirming the importance of maintaining your oral health, not just for your mouth’s well being but for your vital organs as well!
The association between periodontitis and coronary heart disease is not a new concept, but a genetic link between the two is a new concept which provides startling information for dental professionals and patients regarding the gravity of gum disease, as well as its potentially devastating systemic effects throughout the body. Specifically, the researchers were noted as finding “that the two diseases share a genetic variant on chromosome 9. The genetic variation associated with the clinical pictures of both diseases was identical.” The link between the two diseases postulated the following conclusion: “we think that periodontitis should be taken very seriously by dentists and diagnosed and treated as early as possible,” Dr. Schaefer said, noting that periodontitis and heart disease share risk factors such as smoking and obesity.
Although this information doesn’t change how we should treat oral hygiene or periodontitis, it does serve as a wake-up call for everyone regarding how important our oral hygiene routines should be. It is vital to brush your teeth after every meal (and after that midnight snack)! Late-night and mid-day nibbling can cause the most harm to one’s oral environment, from a lack of desire or motivation to clean both the surface and crevices of the teeth. Bacteria thrive in dirty surroundings! Drinking sugary liquids like soda not only provides zero nutritional value, it also creates unhealthy habits which wreak havoc on the oral environment – stick to water or tea if you can. Remember, once the deterioration of dental structures starts, damage may be very difficult or impossible to reverse or restore completely! Prevention is the best measurement, and it is within your reach. Ask your dental professional about prevention – it is easy to work on, both for a cleaner oral environment and for a stronger bacterial host resistance. A healthy mouth may lead to a healthy heart, and such health is priceless.
Hookah smoking is a popular activity for the young and old alike, and has even been gaining popularity in metropolitan city centers: hookah lounges are very popular among residents and college students. The Mediterranean past time of smoking fruit-flavored tobacco (known as shisha) out of a water bong is safer for the lungs than traditional cigarette smoke (as the smoke is filtered through water and ice chambers), but does this smoke harm the oral health as normal cigarette smoke does?
Hookah smoke is damaging to your teeth.
Unfortunately, there is no good news for Hookah smokers. Although the benefits to a water hookah’s filtration have been debated, hookah smoke contains the same toxins as cigarettes which can cause increased blood pressure and risk for heart attack, as well as impaired liver function. In addition to these detractors, hookah smoke is no healthier for your mouth than common cigarettes. Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm studied 262 adults in Saudi Arabia (where hookah smoking is extremely common and culturally condoned) to test this hypothesis – the group was made up of both exclusively cigarette smokers and exclusively hookah smokers, as well as smokers who partook in both forms of smoking.
After an extended period of observation, 20% of the group was found to have signs of gum disease – 30% of hookah smokers and 24% of cigarette smokers were affected by these symptoms. While other factors like age and diet were taken into account, the study concluded that regular hookah smokers are five times more likely than non-smokers to develop gum disease, whereas cigarette smokers were 4 times more likely to develop gum disease. This information might actually suggest that hookah smoke is more dangerous than cigarettes to your oral health! The bottom line is that any form of smoke – whether it is from a cigarette or a water pipe – is harmful to your body and your mouth. Gum disease is only the beginning of long-term systemic problems that occur with smokers, and can lead to tooth deterioration, tooth loss and eventually oral cancer (which is usually detected late, quickly becoming deadly). Curbing your smoking habits and substituting them with healthier living patterns will help you in the long run.
Although you may think acid reflux disease and your child’s dental health are unrelated, but recent studies have suggested the close relations.
Recent studies have linked acid reflux and dental erosion.
Acid reflux disease, defined as chronic symptoms or mucosal damage produced by the abnormal reflux in the esophagus, is nothing short of painful and distracting. When occurring in children, the symptoms can be even more painful and difficult to handle. Just nine days ago, the Pediatric Academic Society released findings of a study conducted by the University of California San Francisco stating children who have severe acid reflux have a much higher risk – up to six times the risk – of dental erosion and gum disease than those without acid reflux disease (or GERD). This is a unique finding and although it should be researched more before being considered fact, if your child suffers from acid reflux, be sure to keep an eye on his or her dental health!
Dental decay, erosion and sensitivity are a result of an overly acidic oral environment, and can often be quite painful and difficult for young children to handle, just like acid reflux. Regular hygiene (like brushing and flossing twice daily and after meals) is important as are regular checkups with your dental professional twice yearly, but what other things can you do to neutralize your child’s acid reflux, and in turn prevent dental and gum erosion? Besides healthy diet that consist of fresh vegetable and fruits, avoid greasy fried food , stay off sugary carbonated beverage,one physician who was a part of the aforementioned study has recommended children with acid reflux disease (even at early stages) should be started on a dental hygiene regiment, to be overlooked by a dental professional regularly, just as medical checkups are. Good dental home care program includes fluoride treatment might be suggested.
Dental erosion can be uncomfortable and potentially hazardous to your child’s oral health, which is why prevention, early detection and adequate protection are always the best keys to health. By taking the right steps early in your child’s life (especially if your child suffers from acid reflux), you can assure your child has a better chance to live his or her life with a happy, healthy smile!
Diabetes is a serious health condition for a large segment of the population, which can cause problem of your eyes, heart, kidneys, nerves and blood vessels. Los Angeles (the city I live and love) has the highest diabetes-related amputation rate in the country! My father-in-law had a diabetes-related stroke, hitting close to home how the consequences of diabetes can be quite severe. There are many varied effects on oral health due to the diabetes condition, including periodontal disease (gum disease), tooth decay, salivary gland dysfunction, fugal infection , delay and poor healing and taste impairment. I get pretty apprehensive when treating diabetic patients, especially when dental implants are called for, or surgical procedures were needed, because of the delayed and poor healing associated with diabetes. It is important to keep your health history updated and inform your dental professional if you are diabetic, whether or not the management of the condition is under control.
When diabetes is not controlled properly, excess glucose can attach to proteins in the blood vessels and alter their normal structure and function; the thicker and less elastic vessels lead to poor circulation and reduce the body’s resistance to infection (leading to gum infection). High glucose levels in your saliva will promote bacteria growth also. When this happens, your oral environment becomes much more susceptible to cavities, infection and gum disease. It is important if you are diabetic to keep up with your oral hygiene, as proper brushing and flossing can help prevent periodontitis, which can compromise the gum and bone and lead to tooth loss. Poor circulation due to diabetes can decrease blood supply to the gums, causing dry mouth which is more susceptible to disease as well (tooth decay, gingivitis , periodontitis, or fungal infection).
It is important to learn about your body, manage the diabetic condition through diet, exercise and medication under the care of your physician, see your dental professional regularly (twice or three times a year) for cleaning and check ups. All in all, if you are on top of your oral hygiene (brush and floss after every meal), control your blood glucose levels and visit your dentist regularly, you should be in good health. Schedule an appointment with your dental professional if you suspect your diabetes may be adversely affecting your oral health!
Laser Gum treatment is an exciting treatment modality for treating and managing gum disease. Laser dentistry has been around for two decades, it is very useful in many applications on soft or hard tissues: the focused energy allows for precision treatment while minimizing pain and recovery time. Although only 6 to 7% of dental practices utilize laser technology so far, you may benefit greatly from laser dentistry.
Periodontal disease in particular is a fantastic candidate for laser treatment. The nature of periodontitis (gum disease) involves bacterial growth which affects the supporting structures of the teeth, destroying attachment tissues which create deep periodontal pockets that are not easily cleanable (causing the gum disease to progress). Gum tissue responds very well to laser energy, which removes diseased linings in the periodontal pocket and also kills the bacteria. The laser-tissue interaction is thermal, controlled energy from the selected tip of the laser fiber will evaporate the inflamed unhealthy lining tissue ; its rising temperature will also kill any pathogen present in the tissue. The clean and less traumatic site becomes more efficient and comfortable for your healing. Other benefits of laser treatment include biostimulation (photo-biomodulation) on the cellular level , which energizes damaged cells through light receptors , allowing tissue to heal promptly!
The laser gum treatment is usually administered in conjunction with traditional scaling and root planning (SRP) services, performed with ultrasonic or hand instruments that remove toxic calculus from the root surface. Unlike more traditional methods which use a scaler to scrape away diseased tissue, the laser approach treats the diseased tissues with electromagnetic energy to ablate diseased tissues non-evasively, followed by irrigation with antiseptic solution (chlorhexidine) to flush away and clean the periodontal pockets. For more severe cases, localized placement of certain antibiotic agents (like Arestin minocycline hydrochloride) inside the treated periodontal pocket can assure a complication-free healing process without systemic effects. Low level laser therapy can also be applied to decrease post-operative discomfort and promote healing through photo-biomodulation.
Laser gum treatment has provided tremendous patient benefits as I have witnessed since it has been incorporated into my practice since 1997, but this treatment modality has raised some eyebrows in the periodontal community. It is difficult to establish a parameter with energy and expect to have consistent result on different subjects; there are too many variables from the color, texture, composition and condition of the tissues, whether the origin of the cause has been managed and how the different laser energy is handled by various operators. There are studies which have proven different results, and over-promising commercials also exist which have discouraged development of laser gum treatment.
When properly conducted, laser gum treatment provides a cleaner and more comfortable site for healing. The predictability of tissue regeneration, however, is too complicated for a blog discussion! I do recommend you go to a reliable, non-biased source like The Academy of Laser Dentistry to learn more about the benefits of laser treatment or referrals of certified laser dentists.
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is integrally and systematically linked to the health of various other bodily systems – here we are focusing on kidneys. The kidneys serve for the production of urine as their primary function, excreting unnecessary bodily fluids and compounds. Kidneys also have several secondary functions concerned with homeostatic functions. These include the regulation of electrolytes, acid-base balance, and blood pressure. If you have kidney problems, apart from the well-advertised urinary and homeostatic problems, your oral health could deteriorate as well!
