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Disease Prevention…Through a Healthy Beautiful Smile! Or, Dental Care from an MD’s Perspective
I work in a small rural ER. I should have been a dentist! Many of our patient visits are for facial soft tissue infections related to dental caries (cavities) that are sometimes very severe. We also see a fair amount of dental abscesses, gum disease and related conditions. Unfortunately, there is not much for us to do.
Most of these people don’t realize that aside from their pain and discomfort, dental caries and periodontal disease (chronic gum infection and swelling leading to tooth loss) can cause coronary artery disease, heart attack, serious infection of the heart valves, pneumonia, stroke, low birth weight in newborns and diabetes.
An interesting fact is that dental caries are the most common chronic disease in the world. While there have been amazing advances in dentistry, many people do not receive prophylactic (preventative) cleanings and exams. Their visit to the dentist comes when a cavity is causing facial pain and swelling, a sign of serious infection spread from the involved tooth to the surrounding soft tissues. Most likely, that tooth needs to be removed to drain the infection or needs a root canal.
Extractions, root canals and even routine fillings are painful, expensive and time consuming. But preventive care for your teeth will help you avoid these “dental disasters.”
Even if your teeth need some “work” or are in perfect shape, it’s never too late to start preventive dental care. You can prevent progression of existing problems and also help prevent the serious diseases listed above.
Cavity Fighting Lollipops Are Here!
After years of research and experiments, the arrival of a new herbal lollipop that actually kills the bacteria that causes cavities, was announced in early 2008. The idea behind the lollipop is due to the dedication of UCLA microbiologist Wenyuan Shi, who tested 2000 Chinese herbs to find the one that kills the bad bacteria found in the mouth.1
Of the 700 kinds of bacteria in the mouth, there are a dozen that cause cavities.
Foods to Make You Smile
Most dentists and hygienists tell their patients that a healthy diet is one of the best ways to avoid dental caries. While this is good advice, making actual recommendations about positive food choices can make the point more clearly.
