The last teeth to develop can cause havoc for the rest of your healthy mouth. Yet there’s growing controversy about whether we really need to have them taken out.
Just as you enter adulthood, your wisdom teeth make their presence known in the far reaches of your mouth. Wisdom teeth — officially the third molars — are the last set of teeth to come in, usually between 17 and 25 years of age, in the so-called “age of wisdom.”
For some, these teeth come in fine. For many others, wisdom teeth don’t come in properly (if at all), are vulnerable to disease, and need to be removed to protect a healthy mouth.
It’s estimated that 95 percent of American 18-year-olds “have wisdom teeth, and most of them have little if any chance to function in a normal manner,” says Louis Rafetto, DMD, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Wilmington, Del.
So if wisdom teeth are virtually useless in millions of mouths, why do we have them? One theory lies in the mouths of our ancestors. Early humans needed an extra row of teeth to chew their food: a diet of uncooked, hard items like roots, nuts, and meat. “I’m not an expert on anthropology, but clearly the need for and utility of wisdom teeth in the past exceeds that of the need of today,” says Dr. Rafetto.
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Vitamin D May Prevent Tooth Decay
/in Dental Education, General Care, Healthy LivingThe sunshine vitamin’s potential role in preventing tooth decay is the latest on its long list of health benefits.
Vitamin D might help prevent tooth decay, a new review of existing studies published in the journal Nutrition Reviews found.
The review includes data from 3,000 children enrolled in 24 clinical trials published from the 1920s to the 1980s. Overall, the trials showed that vitamin D supplementation led to a 50 percent drop in the incidence of tooth decay, perhaps because vitamin D helps the body absorb the tooth-building calcium it needs.
In the trials, the vitamin was delivered either via supplemental UV radiation or by diet products, such as cod liver oil, which contain it.
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Tobacco Use and Your Oral Health
/in General Care, Oral HygieneIt’s no secret that smoking is bad for your overall health but using tobacco products can have serious consequences on your oral health, too.
In addition to affecting your overall health, tobacco use and smoking can cause a number of oral health issues, ranging from oral cancer to discolored teeth.
“You can get yellow teeth [and] a yellow tongue,” says Thomas Kilgore, DMD, professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery and associate dean at the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. “You see a lot of staining on the tongue.”
Smoking and tobacco use can lead to more serious oral health complications as well, including gum disease and oral cancer.
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Toothbrush Tips to Keep Your Teeth in Shape
/in Oral Hygiene, Tips & TricksBrushing your teeth seems easy enough. But some toothbrushes are better than others and there is a right and wrong way to brush your teeth.
Brushing your teeth regularly is key to maintaining healthy teeth and gums and preventing periodontal (gum) diseases, but it’s also important to make sure you choose the right toothbrush for your teeth and use proper brushing techniques. Done correctly, brushing your teeth at least twice a day — in the morning and in the evening before going to bed, for at least three minutes — can help ensure long-term dental health.
“It takes time to brush effectively,” says Richard H. Price, DMD, spokesperson for the American Dental Association (ADA) and a former clinical instructor at Boston University Dental School. “Most people just rush through it.” Dr. Price suggests setting a timer for three minutes and brushing and flossing until the time runs out.
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Foods That Mask Bad Breath
/in General Care, Healthy Living, Oral Hygiene, Tips & TricksThese common foods can help hide halitosis — at least for a short while.
Maybe you shouldn’t have had those raw onions with your hamburger at lunch, because now you’re faced with bad breath all afternoon. Many people find they can’t hide what they ate because certain foods linger in their systems, causing bad breath. Onions and garlic are probably the most common and most well-known instigators of bad breath, or halitosis, but there are others.
The issue with foods like onions and garlic is that they contain pungent oils that get carried through your bloodstream to your lungs. When you breathe out, the pungent leftovers are exhaled too.
Fortunately, just as eating certain foods can cause your breath to be unpleasant, other foods can help mask bad breath — for a time. “It will only be temporary,” notes Gerald P. Curatola, DDS, clinical associate professor at the New York University College of Dentistry and an oral health and wellness expert for The Dr. Oz Show. The following foods could provide relief for an hour or two, until you are able to attack the underlying cause — odor-producing bacteria in your mouth.
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Why Do We Have Wisdom Teeth?
/in UncategorizedThe last teeth to develop can cause havoc for the rest of your healthy mouth. Yet there’s growing controversy about whether we really need to have them taken out.
Just as you enter adulthood, your wisdom teeth make their presence known in the far reaches of your mouth. Wisdom teeth — officially the third molars — are the last set of teeth to come in, usually between 17 and 25 years of age, in the so-called “age of wisdom.”
For some, these teeth come in fine. For many others, wisdom teeth don’t come in properly (if at all), are vulnerable to disease, and need to be removed to protect a healthy mouth.
It’s estimated that 95 percent of American 18-year-olds “have wisdom teeth, and most of them have little if any chance to function in a normal manner,” says Louis Rafetto, DMD, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Wilmington, Del.
So if wisdom teeth are virtually useless in millions of mouths, why do we have them? One theory lies in the mouths of our ancestors. Early humans needed an extra row of teeth to chew their food: a diet of uncooked, hard items like roots, nuts, and meat. “I’m not an expert on anthropology, but clearly the need for and utility of wisdom teeth in the past exceeds that of the need of today,” says Dr. Rafetto.
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Healthy Teeth, Healthy Heart?
/in General Care, Healthy Living, Oral HygieneExperts say that your oral health could clue you in to the condition of your heart — so listen up! Here’s what you should know about the links between your teeth, gums, and ticker.
You brush, floss, and follow all your dentist’s commandments for healthy teeth and gums (kudos!). But did you know that those mouth-healthy habits may ultimately keep your heart healthy, too?
Research has found a surprising number of links between the state of your mouth and your heart. In fact, we now know that people who develop gum disease (either gingivitis, a milder form that results in inflammation and infection of the gums, orperiodontitis, which develops when the inflammation and infection spread below the gum line) are nearly twice at risk for heart disease.
And in one study of 320 adults — half with heart disease — researchers found that these participants were also more likely to have gum disease, bleeding gums, and tooth loss.
What’s the connection? Researchers are still figuring that out.
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The Tooth-Friendly Diet
/in General Care, Oral HygieneTry these foods to help build strong teeth and healthy gums
What you eat affects your mouth not only by building healthier teeth and gums, but also by helping prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Learn how to eat the best diet for your teeth, including the foods to eat, beverages to drink, and what to avoid.
What you eat affects your mouth not only by building healthier teeth and gums, but also by helping prevent tooth decay and gum disease. While a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and unsaturated fats will benefit your overall oral health, there are a few standout foods and nutrients that can really boost it.
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Energy and Sports Drinks Eat Away at Teeth
/in Dental Education, Healthy LivingBut beverage industry disputes the claim, saying many factors contribute to enamel erosion.
WEDNESDAY, May 2, 2012 (HealthDay News) — Sports and energy drinks are causing irreversible damage to the teeth of teens and young adults in the United States, the authors of a new study claim.
High acidity levels in the drinks erode tooth enamel, the glossy outer layer of teeth, the researchers contend in the May/June issue of the journal General Dentistry.
“Young adults consume these drinks assuming that they will improve their sports performance and energy levels and that they are ‘better’ for them than soda,” study author Poonam Jain said in a news release from Academy of General Dentistry, which publishes the journal.
However, “most of these patients are shocked to learn that these drinks are essentially bathing their teeth with acid,” Jain said.
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10 Biggest Causes of Tooth Sensitivity
/in General Care, Oral HygieneAre your teeth tender? From acidic foods to certain toothpastes, a number of culprits could be to blame.
Does eating frozen yogurt make you say “ouch” — or do you find yourself wincing when you brush or floss? You could have what’s known as tooth sensitivity.
But you don’t have to put up with the pain. In fact, there are things you can do to lessen tooth sensitivity and improve your oral health says Leslie Seldin, DDS, a dentist in New York City and a spokesman for the American Dental Association.
Here’s why you could be experiencing this mouth malady — and what steps you should take to ease the ouch:
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The Four Types of Teeth and How They Function
/in Dental EducationYour teeth and the structure of your mouth play important roles in your ability to eat and speak and stay healthy.
Most of us take our teeth for granted … until something goes wrong. Our teeth help us chew and digest food, play an important role in speech, and impact our health overall. And by brushing up on your dental health knowledge, you’ll be taking the first step toward giving your teeth the attention they deserve.
How much do you know about your pearly whites?
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