Posted by Meghan Weaver on Wed, Sep 01, 2010 @ 12:19 PM
Are you between the ages of 45 and 64 (and part of the “Baby Boomer” generation)? If so, you should take note of something a sizeable majority of your peers fail to see. According to the Academy of General Dentistry, 63% of Baby Boomers fail to recognize the strong connection between oral health and systemic health (i.e. the simple fact that healthy teeth and gums can help them keep many chronic and fatal health problems at bay).
Findings reported in the Journal of Dental Education punctuate the need to integrate oral health and general health care as there are established links between periodontal disease and diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and peripheral arterial disease. That’s why it’s imperative for Boomers to take excellent care of their oral health by practicing healthy dental habits and visiting the dentist regularly.
Is Dental Care Really Necessary?
One of the main keys to maintaining a healthy mouth as you get older is establishing a strong, trust-based doctor-patient relationship with your local Massachusetts dentist. According to the Academy of General Dentistry, almost one-third or (31%) of baby boomers don’t get preventive dental care (i.e. they only go to the dentist when they have any emergency).
We all know how costly dental care is these days (so this statistic probably doesn’t shock you all that much) but the cost of delaying your dentistry takes a much greater toll on both your health and your wallet. Affordable dental insurance alternatives such as discount dental plans put affordable dental care within reach so you can avoid the painful and costly consequences of delayed dentistry. Universal Dental Plan has options for baby boomers as well as those who have already reached retirement age (our senior dental plan) so visit our site and see what you can save.
Posted by Meghan Weaver on Thu, Aug 26, 2010 @ 09:52 AM
Nutrition and your oral health are highly intertwined. Good nutrition promotes good oral health by enabling your mouth and its tissues to develop and stay healthy. However, some foods and habits are known to spur on plaque development, leading to a heightened risk of tooth decay and dental disease.
With all of this in mind, we’ve put together several quick facts and nutrition tips to keep your teeth and gums disease and decay free.
Quick Facts and Tips:
- Sugars and cooked starches (fermentable carbohydrates) can make a huge impact on your risk of tooth decay, so avoid consumption of these items in excess
- About 20-40 minutes after you eat, your mouth releases acids. Each of these “acid attacks” increases your risk of tooth decay so it's important to limit the number of between-meal snacks you have (as you’ll limit the number of acid attacks as well).
- Foods such as bread and crackers stay on teeth longer that jelly beans or caramels despite perceived stickiness of the latter two. Look to consume foods that clear the mouth quickly, as they pose less of a threat of tooth decay.
- Baby bottle tooth decay occurs when infants’ or young children’s teeth get severely damaged from prolonged exposure to liquids containing sugars. For this reason, you should avoid letting your child fall asleep with a bottle of formula or juice.
- Make sure you get your Vitamin C. It helps protect your gums from infection and can be found in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.
- Last but not least, if you do consume sugary or carbohydrate-rich foods, make sure it’s as part of a balanced meal. This helps to increase saliva production and neutralize acid production in the mouth.
Need more tips on nutrition for oral health? Ask your dentist at your next dental checkup.
And, for those who need to find a dentist, Universal Dental Plan can help. Universal Dental Plan is an affordable dental insurance plan alternative in Massachusetts. We connect you with local Boston dentists and providers throughout the state who will be able to answer your questions and point you on a path towards excellent oral health.
Posted by Meghan Weaver on Thu, Jul 22, 2010 @ 11:53 AM
Our smiles are made to last a lifetime and proper dental hygiene has a huge impact on the health of your mouth and body, whether you’re 5 or 85. However, as we get older, we become more susceptible to oral health problems such as periodontal disease, inflammation of the gum tissue, dry mouth syndrome (often caused by medications) and oral thrush just to name a few.
It’s plain to see that taking care of your oral health in your golden years comes with several unique considerations. Here are 5 essential tips for seniors to keep healthy teeth and gums (and ultimately healthy bodies).
#5 Keep consistent with your at home oral health care regiment: This means keep brushing, flossing and rinsing with mouthwash as instructed by your dentist to maintain proper dental hygiene.
If brushing and flossing are difficult for you, consider using an apparatus such as a tongue depressor to lengthen your brush or flossing tool. Also, if you suffer from arthritis or a similar condition, you may want to try inserting the back end of your toothbrush into a standard tennis ball for better maneuverability.
#4 Know the warning signs to prevent harmful conditions: Elders are generally more susceptible to many major oral health problems including gum disease, tooth loss, TMJ, dry mouth syndrome and oral cancer and should be on the lookout for key signs and symptoms. Symptoms to watch out for include, swelling of the gums, teeth sensitivity, loose teeth, jaw soreness, persistent mouth sores and bumps or an unquenchable thirst. If you experience any of these symptoms, call your dentist right away for diagnosis and treatment (if you live in Massachusetts and need help finding affordable dentistry, we can certainly help).
#3 Maintain dental appliances such as dentures and dental bridges properly: Contrary to popular belief, a set of dentures won’t last you 20 plus years. The ADA recommends replacing them every 5-7 years to avoid painful consequences such as mouth sores, oral lesions and difficulty chewing/swallowing/digesting food.
For denture wearers, we’ve put together 4 helpful tips to keep them in excellent shape and maintain oral health.
#2 Talk to your dentist about any medication you’re taking as dry mouth syndrome is a common side effect of many Rx drugs. For dry mouth sufferers, dentists can prescribe an array of solution such as an artificial saliva rinse to keep your mouth moist and wash harmful bacteria away.
#1 Visit your dentist as often as he or she recommends for regular checkups: Even if you wear dentures, it’s still vital to visit your dentist twice-yearly per-ADA recommendation. On top of keeping your mouth in tip top shape, your dentist can alert you of developments in your mouth that point to problems elsewhere in your body or pick up on early signs of improper jaw alignment or poor nutrition which may become problematic down the road.
Want more advice on senior dental care? Universal Dental Plan is out on tour this year with a full presentation on the importance of oral health and hygiene in the golden years. Sign up here to bring our Golden Smiles Tour to your local council on aging or senior center.
Posted by Meghan Weaver on Tue, Jul 06, 2010 @ 09:31 AM
The American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) estimates that 75% of Americans have some form of gum disease—from the earliest (and mildest) stages of gingivitis to advanced gum disease (periodontitis). So, if most of us have gum disease, why is it that only 3% of Americans actively seek treatment for it?
Experts say that a major reason for the huge difference between the prevalence of gum disease sufferers and those that seek treatment is an overall lack of awareness. Individuals lack awareness on the long term effects of gum disease and its implications on their overall health (consequences on untreated dental diseases include far more than just potential tooth loss).
According to Dr. Samuel Low, President of the American Academy of Periodontology, “there are a variety of myths surrounding periodontal disease and its repercussions.” To help you distinguish fact from fiction, we’ve put together a list of several commonly held myths about gum disease the AAP has indentified.
Myth #1 When your gums bleed, it’s not a big deal: Red, swollen and bleeding gums are among the most common symptoms of gingivitis which, if left untreated, can lead to advanced gum disease (periodontitis). Periodontitis is a far more serious condition than gingivitis and leads to severe detachment of teeth from gums, eventually resulting in tooth loss. If your gums consistently bleed when you brush, floss or eat certain foods, you should definitely make an appointment with your dentist to be evaluated for gum disease.
Early diagnosis and treatment of gum disease will help you avoid many harmful oral health (and bodily health problems) in future years. For example, studies show that gum disease significantly increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and respiratory infection.
Myth #2 You don’t need to floss every day: Telling someone they don’t need to floss every day is like telling them they only need to wash 60% of their body when they shower. More details on why this is the case can be found here.
Myth # 3 A visit to the periodontist will be scary: Periodontists are gum disease experts who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of this condition, as well as the placement of dental implants (which we’ll go over in a bit). These doctors have undergone three additional years of specialized post-dental school training so you can be sure your teeth and gums are in good hands—literally.
Also, today’s periodontists are equipped with many cutting-edge technologies and use highly innovative tools such as digital radiography, ultrasound technology, biomarker measurement and laser therapy to help make your visit as comfortable as possible.
Myth #4 A tooth lost to gum disease is gone forever: Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss for adults today, and that’s a fact. But for individuals who’ve lost teeth to gum disease, there is a way to regain full, bright smiles that appear completely natural. The solution is a dental implant—an artificial tooth root that is placed into the jaw to hold a replacement tooth. Studies have shown that dental implants have a 98 percent success rate, and periodontists are trained experts in placing them.
Universal Dental Plan’s deep dental discounts apply to all implantology procedures. We have many skilled and compassionate Massachusetts periodontists among our network dentists who can work with our members and help them determine if dental implants are right for them
Myth #5 Poor oral hygiene is the only way to develop gum disease: Although poor oral hygiene is certainly a major risk factor for developing periodontitis, several other factors will heighten your risk for it. These factors include tobacco use, stress, poor diet and even genetic predispositions. The AAP has developed a complimentary online risk assessment test for gum disease that can be accessed here.
Posted by Meghan Weaver on Thu, May 20, 2010 @ 12:29 PM
Advanced gum disease (or periodontitis) is a chronic bacterial infection that destroys your gum tissue and bones. If left untreated, your teeth become loose and fall out.
Studies show that elderly individuals have the highest rates of gum disease. What's even more alarming is the fact that:
- At least half of non-institutionalized people over age 55 have advanced gum disease
- 1 out of EVERY 4 adults over 60 have lost all of their teeth.
Elder Americans with missing teeth no longer need to suffer in silence with a toothless smile (or avoid smiling at all out of embarrassment). Dental implants are a great tooth replacement option and they look a lot like the real thing!
What dental implants are used for:
Dental implants offer a permanent solution to tooth loss. For maximum effectiveness, they're best when used in conjunction with other procedures.
A dental implant can be used to support a crown replacing one missing tooth or a dental bridge replacing several missing teeth. They can also be used with dentures to increase their stability and reduce patients' gum tissue irritation.
What happens when you get dental implants:
Implants are typically placed in your mouth in a single sitting but require a period of osseointegration immediately afterward. Osseointegration is the technical term for the process of your dental implant and jawbone anchoring together.
Osseointegrated implants are the most commonly used and successful type of dental implant and generally take anywhere from 3 to 6 months to completely heal. At this point, your dentist can complete the procedure with the placement of a crown.
Does your dental plan make implants affordable for you? Or are they viewed by the plan as "nonessential" or "too cosmetic"?
For Massachusetts individuals and seniors especially, Universal Dental Plan offers easy, affordable access to deep, everyday discounts on all procedures (including cosmetic). Memberships are immediate so sign up now and start saving today.
Posted by Meghan Weaver on Mon, Mar 22, 2010 @ 09:21 AM
Everyone knows that candy and sweets are hard on your teeth, but the most dangerous culprits could actually be what you drink! Studies have shown that certain beverages have higher acidity and in some cases higher amounts of concentrated sugars than others. So which drinks ones are the most dangerous to your oral health?
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Soda contains phosphoric and citric acids which are harsh on enamel. Also, dark sodas can easily stain teeth, especially if you let it sit on your teeth for awhile without brushing it away.
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When it comes to stained teeth, coffee is of course one of the most famous culprits. The high amount of caffeine in coffee enables it to wear down enamel, making it easier to stain teeth.
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Sports drinks are one of the newest additions to the list of harmful beverages. They are said to contain up to three times the amount of sugar found in soda!
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Carbonated water is also surprisingly damaging to the mouth because it contains deceptively high amounts of sugar.
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Juices such as orange, apple, or lemonade, all seem healthier, but contain high amounts of sugar, and natural acidity from the fruit. The combination of sugar and acid can have the same effect on the teeth as soda.
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Alcohol is the most important beverage to avoid because the acids and sugars are much stronger and can easily lead to periodontal disease. Also, alcohol abuse can lead to oral cancer.
So, if you're one of the many people reluctant to give up your diet cola or coffee in the morning don't worry! There are many solutions that can allow you to enjoy your favorite drinks without sacrificing your oral health.
1. Stay Hydrated: Drinking water after consuming any of these beverages can help rinse out the sticky sugars and acids that latch themselves onto your teeth. Also, water will have the same effect as saliva, which adds moisture to your mouth making it easier to wash away bacteria.
2. Bring a toothbrush. If you can't go without any or all of these beverages, bring a toothbrush with you. Dentists say to wait 20-30 minutes after consumption to allow the enamel, which has softened from the acids and sugars, to harden again, and cause less damage to the teeth.
3. Chew sugarless gum. Chewing sugarless gum will actually help to pull the sugars and acids off of your teeth, and produces more saliva for a natural cleanse.
4. Use a straw. It sounds silly, but placing a straw towards the back of your mouth can keep the beverage away from your teeth and prevent direct contact with your front teeth (to avoid staining)!
So if you're not willing to give up any of your favorite beverages, try these simple solutions. That way, you can have your cola and keep your smile healthy too.
