Article by Gay Frankenfield, RN | Featured on WebMD
If you’re supplementing your diet with calcium and vitamin D to prevent bone loss, you may be more likely to hang onto your pearly whites, according to a report at this week’s meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research in Toronto. Even so, older adults need to floss their teeth and see the dentist regularly because with increased age come increased risks for losing teeth.
“Studies have shown that calcium and vitamin D decrease bone loss in the hip and forearm, but we weren’t sure if they had an effect on tooth loss,” says lead author Elizabeth Krall, MPH, PhD, a researcher at Boston University Dental School and Tufts University Nutrition Research Center. “Now we know that supplementation may also improve tooth retention, along with routine dental care and good oral hygiene,” she tells WebMD.
To explore the role of supplementation on tooth retention, the researchers followed more than 140 older adults for five years. Participants took either a placebo or 500 mg of calcium plus 700 units of vitamin D daily for three years. Both during and after the trial, their teeth were examined periodically.
For those who took supplements, the likelihood of losing one or more teeth was 40% less, even two years later. Tooth loss was also linked to the number of cavities, frequency of flossing, and use of thiazide diuretics, a type of medication that helps lower blood pressure.
Not surprisingly, dentists applaud the new findings. “Tooth plaque is a problem for everybody, but some older adults are getting cavities at twice the rate of teen-agers,” says Boston dentist Richard Price, DMD, a consumer adviser for the American Dental Association. “This is because the root surface becomes more exposed as we age.” Unfortunately, many prescription drugs are also to blame.
“We need saliva to wash away bacteria that causes plaque, but there are up to 400 medications that dry the mouth out,” Price tells WebMD. “That’s why it’s so important for older adults to brush and floss regularly,” in addition to taking supplements.
Swallowing a vitamin tablet is not that difficult to do, but for some older people, brushing and flossing can be a difficult process because of joint pain. If that is the case, Price has these following suggestions:
- Look for dental floss that has a handle
- Get a toothbrush with a bigger handle
- Attach a rubber ball around the handle of your toothbrush
- Switch to an automatic toothbrush
Another reason for tooth loss is that the jawbone loses its mass faster than other bones, according to Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, RD, a professor of nutrition at Georgia State University in Atlanta. “But for many people, it’s hard to get enough calcium through diet alone. And because vitamin D enhances calcium absorption, the two nutrients are often taken together as dietary supplements,” she explains.
As a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, Rosenbloom tells WebMD that you can also supplement too much. “The recommended upper limits are 2,500 mg a day for calcium and 1,000 units a day for vitamin D. Any more than that could be toxic to your kidneys, liver, or heart,” she cautions. In selecting a brand, here’s what Rosenbloom advises:
- Try calcium citrate, it may be easier to absorb than calcium carbonate
- Choose a combination product that contains vitamin D, too
- Look for the USP (United States Pharmacopeia) symbol, indicating that it will dissolve properly
- Avoid bone meal and dolamite, which often contain lead or arsenic
- Consider good-tasting chews that contain both nutrients
© 2000 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved.
Looking for an orthodontist in Beaverton, Oregon? Biermann Orthodontics is a cutting-edge orthodontic practice that serves Beaverton and Molalla, OR, and focuses on providing world-class customer service and efficient treatment. We strive to create stunning smiles in the shortest amount of time without ever sacrificing quality.
Visit our Locations page to find a clinic near you, or schedule an initial consultation.
Biermann Orthodontics
503-690-0722
17885 NW Evergreen Parkway, Suite 200
Beaverton, OR 97006
Six Important Dental Health Facts You Should Know
/in Dental Educationby Dianne L. Sefo, RDH, BA | Featured on Colgate
Not taking care of your mouth can lead to many dental problems: bad breath, gum disease, cavities, sensitivity and even tooth loss. But the good news is these issues are preventable.
For ideal dental health, there are numerous good habits you need to adopt. Here are six dental health facts you should know.
Healthy Lifestyles Make Healthy Smiles
Research from the Journal of Periodontology suggests regular exercise and a healthy diet decreases the chances of developing gum disease. A poor diet filled with sugary foods and liquids can lead to cavities.
Good Oral Hygiene Takes Time
A white smile doesn’t happen overnight. Several small positive changes in your routine will contribute to this gradual process. Plaque, the sticky film of bacteria constantly forming at the gum line and on the surfaces of your teeth, can take time to remove. Brush your teeth two to three minutes at a time, and twice daily. Consider using a timer to help ensure you’re spending enough time at the sink, or play a song of the same length encouraging everyone in the house to do the same. Interdental tools such as floss reach many areas of the mouth that your toothbrush can’t and should be used at least once daily before bedtime. Finish your routine by rinsing with mouthwash according to label directions to help keep your teeth and gums healthy.
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Can I Play Sports with Braces on My Teeth?
/in Living With Bracesby DR. JOSEPH THOMPSON | Featured on Ask an Orthodontist
A lot of people enjoy watching sports and participating in sports activities. It’s exciting when we see our team or the underdog come back and win the game. Some parents are concerned about their children playing sports while they have braces on their teeth. The question often asked is, “Are there any limitations or sports that my child can’t participate in?” During orthodontic treatment with braces, a child can play any sport. However, we have to be careful to protect our lips and teeth from injury. The best way to protect our teeth is with an orthodontic mouth guard.
Orthodontic mouth guards are different from a regular mouth guard. First the regular mouth guard is thermoplastic. Before using it, you have to heat the regular mouth guard and bite into it to create imprints of your teeth. This is a problem with orthodontic treatment. As the orthodontist moves your teeth, the regular mouth guard will try to move the teeth into an old position going against the tooth movement we want. Or eventually the teeth will move so much that the regular mouth guard will not fit any more.
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Why Don’t We Treat Teeth Like the Rest of Our Bodies?
/in General CareArticle Featured on The Atlantic | Written by Olga Khazan
One recent Friday, the wait was over. Or at least, most of it was. She was sitting in the stands of the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland and looking down on the basketball court, where rows and rows of people were tipped back in dental chairs, getting their teeth fixed as part of a large dental charity event. Adam works at night, so her husband stood in line outside the building from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. to secure her spot. Adam drove over straight from work, taking the orange bracelet from her husband’s wrist. The bracelet meant she was in.
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Hormones and Oral Health
/in Oral HealthArticled Featured on WebMD
Women may be more susceptible to oral health problems because of the unique hormonal changes they experience. Hormones affect not only the blood supply to the gum tissue but also the body’s response to the toxins (poisons) that result from plaque buildup. As a result of these changes, women are more prone to the development of periodontal disease at certain stages of their lives, as well as to other oral health problems.
When Are Women More at Risk for Oral Health Problems?
There are five situations in a women’s life during which hormone fluctuations make them more susceptible to oral health problems – during puberty, at certain points in the monthly menstrual cycle, when using birth control pills, during pregnancy, and at menopause.
Puberty
The surge in production of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone that occurs during puberty can increase the blood flow to the gums and change the way gum tissue reacts to irritants in plaque, causing the gum tissue to become red, tender, swollen, and more likely to bleed during brushing and flossing.
The monthly menstrual cycle
Due to the hormonal changes (particularly the increase in progesterone) that occur during the menstrual cycle, some women experience oral changes that can include bright red swollen gums, swollen salivary glands, development of canker sores, or bleeding gums. Menstruation gingivitis usually occurs a day or two before the start of the period and clears up shortly after the period has started.
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3 Surprising Ways to Keep Your Teeth Healthy
/in General CareYour toothbrush isn’t the only weapon capable of protecting your teeth — your diet helps too!
In addition to brushing and flossing, a healthful diet (with natural or added fluoride) protects teeth from decay and keeps the gums healthy. Read on to discover how to keep your smile safe and strong.
Tooth decay (cavities and dental caries) and gum disease are caused by colonies of bacteria that constantly coat the teeth with a sticky film called plaque. If plaque is not brushed away, these bacteria break down the sugars and starches in foods to produce acids that wear away the tooth enamel. The plaque also hardens into tartar, which can lead to gum inflammation, or gingivitis.
A well-balanced diet provides the minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients essential for healthy teeth and gums. Fluoride, occurring naturally in foods and water, or added to the water supply, can be a powerful tool in fighting decay. It can reduce the rate of cavities by as much as 60 percent.
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Keep That Smile! Calcium and Vitamin D Prevent Tooth Loss
/in General CareArticle by Gay Frankenfield, RN | Featured on WebMD
If you’re supplementing your diet with calcium and vitamin D to prevent bone loss, you may be more likely to hang onto your pearly whites, according to a report at this week’s meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research in Toronto. Even so, older adults need to floss their teeth and see the dentist regularly because with increased age come increased risks for losing teeth.
“Studies have shown that calcium and vitamin D decrease bone loss in the hip and forearm, but we weren’t sure if they had an effect on tooth loss,” says lead author Elizabeth Krall, MPH, PhD, a researcher at Boston University Dental School and Tufts University Nutrition Research Center. “Now we know that supplementation may also improve tooth retention, along with routine dental care and good oral hygiene,” she tells WebMD.
To explore the role of supplementation on tooth retention, the researchers followed more than 140 older adults for five years. Participants took either a placebo or 500 mg of calcium plus 700 units of vitamin D daily for three years. Both during and after the trial, their teeth were examined periodically.
For those who took supplements, the likelihood of losing one or more teeth was 40% less, even two years later. Tooth loss was also linked to the number of cavities, frequency of flossing, and use of thiazide diuretics, a type of medication that helps lower blood pressure.
Not surprisingly, dentists applaud the new findings. “Tooth plaque is a problem for everybody, but some older adults are getting cavities at twice the rate of teen-agers,” says Boston dentist Richard Price, DMD, a consumer adviser for the American Dental Association. “This is because the root surface becomes more exposed as we age.” Unfortunately, many prescription drugs are also to blame.
“We need saliva to wash away bacteria that causes plaque, but there are up to 400 medications that dry the mouth out,” Price tells WebMD. “That’s why it’s so important for older adults to brush and floss regularly,” in addition to taking supplements.
Swallowing a vitamin tablet is not that difficult to do, but for some older people, brushing and flossing can be a difficult process because of joint pain. If that is the case, Price has these following suggestions:
Another reason for tooth loss is that the jawbone loses its mass faster than other bones, according to Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, RD, a professor of nutrition at Georgia State University in Atlanta. “But for many people, it’s hard to get enough calcium through diet alone. And because vitamin D enhances calcium absorption, the two nutrients are often taken together as dietary supplements,” she explains.
As a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, Rosenbloom tells WebMD that you can also supplement too much. “The recommended upper limits are 2,500 mg a day for calcium and 1,000 units a day for vitamin D. Any more than that could be toxic to your kidneys, liver, or heart,” she cautions. In selecting a brand, here’s what Rosenbloom advises:
Looking for an orthodontist in Beaverton, Oregon? Biermann Orthodontics is a cutting-edge orthodontic practice that serves Beaverton and Molalla, OR, and focuses on providing world-class customer service and efficient treatment. We strive to create stunning smiles in the shortest amount of time without ever sacrificing quality.
Visit our Locations page to find a clinic near you, or schedule an initial consultation.
Biermann Orthodontics
503-690-0722
17885 NW Evergreen Parkway, Suite 200
Beaverton, OR 97006
All About Dental Implants
/in Cosmetic DentistryArticle Featured on WebMD
Despite improvements in dental care, millions of Americans suffer tooth loss — mostly due to tooth decay, gingivitis (gum disease), or injury. For many years, the only treatment options available for people with missing teeth were bridges and dentures. But, today, dental implants are available.
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are replacement tooth roots. Implants provide a strong foundation for fixed (permanent) or removable replacement teeth that are made to match your natural teeth.
What Are the Advantages of Dental Implants?
There are many advantages to dental implants, including:
Read more
5 Tips for a Photogenic Smile
/in Positive LivingArticle by Joanne Barker | Featured on WebMD
With selfies and instant photo sharing, a camera-ready smile is great to have. You don’t need to be a celebrity to know how to flash a glowing grin, though. Follow these steps to get pictures you’ll be happy to send to your friends.
No. 1: Be natural.
When it’s picture time, smile gently. That way, your face looks relaxed. Your mouth opens slightly, and your lower lip matches the curve of your upper teeth.
It’s the opposite of the quick smile that flashes across your face when you see an old friend. That makes your eyes squint and your neck muscles tense, which can make for an awkward-looking photo.
No. 2: Stand up straight.
Does your smile sometimes make you look like you have a double chin? Then watch your posture. “If you slouch or your head is too bent forward, you won’t like how your smile looks,” says Pamela McClain, DDS.
Her suggestion: Turn your head slightly and drop your chin so your face is not completely square with the camera.
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Tooth Enamel Erosion and Restoration
/in Dental Education, General CareArticle Featured on WebMD
What is tooth enamel?
Enamel is the thin outer covering of the tooth. This tough shell is the hardest tissue in the human body. Enamel covers the crown which is the part of the tooth that’s visible outside of the gums.
Because enamel is translucent, you can see light through it. But the main portion of the tooth, the dentin, is the part that’s responsible for your tooth color — whether white, off white, grey, or yellowish.
Sometimes coffee, tea, cola, red wine, fruit juices, and cigarettes stain the enamel on your teeth. Regular visits to your dentist for routine cleaning and polishing can help remove most surface stains and make sure your teeth stay healthy.
What does tooth enamel do?
Enamel helps protect your teeth from daily use such as chewing, biting, crunching, and grinding. Although enamel is a hard protector of teeth, it can chip and crack. Enamel also insulates the teeth from potentially painful temperatures and chemicals.
Unlike a broken bone that can be repaired by the body, once a tooth chips or breaks, the damage is done forever. Because enamel has no living cells, the body cannot repair chipped or cracked enamel.
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What Can You Do About Sensitive Teeth?
/in Dental EducationArticle Featured on WebMD
Tooth sensitivity can affect one or more teeth. It’s most common when you eat or drink something hot, cold, sweet, or sour. Sometimes a breath of cold air can set it off. The pain can be sharp and sudden and can shoot deep into the nerve endings of your teeth.
What Causes Sensitive Teeth?
You get sensitive teeth when your gums pull back and expose the surface beneath, called the dentin. This soft layer makes up the inner part and roots, which have thousands of tiny tubes that lead to the tooth’s nerve center (the pulp). These channels allow the trigger — for example, the hot, cold, or sweet food — to reach the nerve in your tooth, which results in the pain you feel.
Other things that can cause sensitive teeth are:
Steps to Reduce Tooth Sensitivity
The good news is there are many ways to control sensitive teeth. You can:
If you still have discomfort, talk to your dentist. There may be a procedure that can help. He might recommend:
WebMD Medical Reference
Looking for an orthodontist in Beaverton, Oregon? Biermann Orthodontics is a cutting-edge orthodontic practice that serves Beaverton and Molalla, OR, and focuses on providing world-class customer service and efficient treatment. We strive to create stunning smiles in the shortest amount of time without ever sacrificing quality.
Visit our Locations page to find a clinic near you, or schedule an initial consultation.
Biermann Orthodontics
503-690-0722
17885 NW Evergreen Parkway, Suite 200
Beaverton, OR 97006