Orthodontics 101

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The most common oral health issue prompting orthodontic treatment is a bad bite or scientifically called a malocclusion. There are one or more factors that may cause this like having a small mouth limiting the amount of space for the teeth to grow. Tongue thrusting is another factor that the can result in the protrusion of the teeth. Bite can be affected by having many teeth or not enough teeth. Misaligned jaw or supporting bone structure can affect the bite and may result in difficulty chewing and speaking. Lastly, poor muscular functional habits such as thumb sucking during infancy can be a detriment to dental and facial development.Computer-aided technology offered through some orthodontic offices today helps the orthodontist to create ideal tooth positions for that perfect bite.

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Dentists and orthodontists used to pull out teeth to give way to dental implants which they say were more stable than natural teeth, but current failures suggest the opposite that the natural teeth structure if stable enough can give better stability opposed to total implants. There are also increasing cases of crowding which results from teeth extraction which has existing teeth move in anyway further complicating procedures that have already been carried out. Crowding can result in significant weakening of the bony structure which in turn can prevent further attempts to exact changes. Implant failure due to clinical mobility is one of the most prevalent conditions associated with dental implants and they are undergoing studies and revisions to procedures to correct and possibly prevent such cases from happening early on.

Years ago, our parents did sacrifice a lot just to get that pleasing smile. Metal braces that hurt a lot must be used daily. Most of the time, a dentist is an hour drive from home. It was not accessible for everyone.

Today, you can almost see a dental clinic in every corner in town. You can achieve that perfect toothpaste commercial smile by undergoing some treatments like instant orthodontics.

Instant Orthodontics is made up of porcelain veneers and it was proven by several patients that it can really correct the problem. You can use it to change the size, color and position of the teeth in just a snap.

Dental rubber dams are used during dental operations for different reasons. They are usually made of latex. However, there are alternatives for latex allergy sufferers. The dam is a thin sheet that is clamped in such a way that the teeth to be worked on comes through but the rest of the mouth is covered and protected. The rubber dam minimizes the splattering of blood and saliva and makes it easier for the practitioner to concentrate on particular teeth. It also prevents the patient’s gag reflex from coming on. The dam is especially helpful when fillings are introduced, as feelings need to be dry to bond properly. Its use may not be suitable for some patients, but most will be able to breathe and swallow normally with it.

by: Christine Zafra

Contrary to the popular belief, amalgam (contains 50 percent mercury) does not affect little kids’ brain functions.

Many believe that amalgam does affect the child’s intelligence and memory but a research collaboration conducted by the different hospitals and research institutes across the United States shows that amalgam has nothing to do with a child’s brain functions. They followed 534 children (before and after dental amalgam filling) for 8 years and found out that the children scored equally on all the tests they have given (IQ, memory etc.). All the respondents had different amounts of silver amalgam placed on their teeth.

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by: Christine Zafra

If you have missing teeth, your dentist might advise you to get implants, veneers or undergo other dental procedures for you to have back that beautiful smile. However, having that aesthetically pleasing smile is not a guarantee that you are now healthy. You may be orally healthy, but are you heart disease-free? Yes, researchers from Germany found out that women (in particular) who have lost a bunch of their natural teeth have heavier left ventricles. The left ventricle is responsible for pumping the blood throughout the body. People who have heavier hearts have a higher risk of contracting heart disease in the future.

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by: Christine Zafra

Cancer affects people of all ages; it does not pick a certain age group (even children can acquire it) and it accounts to more or less than 13 percent of deaths in the world.

A group of Turkish experts studied this phenomenon. Not only were they able to discover that cancer is nowadays prevalent among the children, but they were also able to link cavity build up with it. They have studied 96 children who were cancer survivors versus 96 children who are healthy, and found out that the children who have had cancer have more cavities. They also found out that the cancer survivors have more bacteria in their mouths.

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by: Christine Zafra

Have you heard of dental anxiety? It is a state wherein people are afraid to visit their dentists because of the notion of “pain” and other associated acts. This is in fact troublesome because this can lead to lifelong avoidance of the dentist (even if he or she needs it most). There is, however, an online support group that aims to help those with this kind of fear. Dental Fear Central was able to help a lot of people overcome their fears and face their dentists. Knowing that they are not alone and a lot of people suffer the same trauma too helped them ease up. About 2,500 people have signed up in the forum, hoping that they will soon eliminate their dental phobias.

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by: Christine Zafra

If you have periodontitis, make sure you visit your dentist often for treatment. Studies show that you are in great risk of other health problems too like heart disease and blood infection. However, you must be doubly careful if you have diabetes. Another research done by the experts at the University Dental School and Hospital in Ireland states that almost two-thirds of diabetic patients do not know that they have an increased risk of periodontitis. Of course they were aware about the heart, eye and kidney problems associated with diabetes, but only 33 percent knew that periodontitis had something to do with their current disease.

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by: Christine Zafra

Stress is something that cannot be avoided. It is an “everyday” circumstance and may arise at any given situation. Though the link of stress and heart attack is established, there is another disease that is recently connected to it: periodontitis. Although the connection’s foundation is still hazy, researchers are doing their best to further develop the study.

They are currently looking into periodontitis as a disease linked with heart ailments. One of the theories states that inflamed gums do produce infected blood in the blood stream, making the other organs receive the said blood, and perhaps, cause damage to it.

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