Mother’s Oral Hygiene Directly Impacts Child’s Oral Health

Bacteria, Habits Influence Oral Health

Mother’s Oral Hygiene Directly Impacts Child’s Oral Health

A recent study of pediatric dentistry from the Virginia Commonwealth University found that not only does a mother’s oral health impact a healthy pregnancy, it also impacts the overall health of the child.

“Ideally, the oral health education for any family will begin with prenatal education and the establishment of a dental home by the time the child is 12 to 18 months of age,” says Tegwyn Brickhouse, study author. “Many people don’t realize that the oral health of the mother affects both the infant’s future oral health and the child’s overall health.”

Mothers share their oral health habits with their children, setting an example of the importance of regular brushing and flossing. And mothers who visit the dentist regularly are far more likely to make sure their kids get to the dentist both at a young age and at regular intervals.

It’s recommended that children see a dentist at about age 1, or within 6 months of getting their first tooth, and every six months after that to assess teeth for decay, examine bite and evaluate oral health concerns, like use of bottles and sippy cups and thumb sucking.

It’s also been determined that if mothers’ mouths are harboring high levels of the harmful bacteria Streptococcus mutans, it’s likely that her child’s mouth is too.

Streptococcus mutans is a bacteria commonly found in human mouths. S. mutans produces lactic acid which erodes tooth enamel allowing for increased tooth decay.

S. mutans can be transmitted from a mother or another caregiver to an infant or child via saliva. For instance, by allowing infants or children to put their fingers in the parent’s mouth and then into their own mouths, testing the temperature of a bottle with the mouth, sharing forks and spoons, sharing food and “cleaning” a pacifier or a bottle nipple that has fallen by sucking on it before giving it back to the infant or child.

Study Links Obesity, Oral Bacteria

Groundbreaking Research from the Forsyth Institute

Study Links Obesity, Oral Bacteria

Researchers at the Harvard-affiliated Forsyth Institute have discovered new links between specific oral bacteria and obesity according to the Journal of Dental Research.

The study found that the makeup of salivary bacteria in overweight women differs from that of those who are not overweight, leading researchers to suspect that oral bacteria may be contributing to the obesity epidemic.

Forsyth Institute researchers collected saliva samples from women with body mass indexes both in the overweight range and in the healthy weight range and found that more than 98% of the overweight women had a bacteria called Selenomonas noxia at levels greater than 1.05% of their total salivary bacteria. Women in the healthy weight range had little or no Selenomonas noxia in their salivary bacteria.

Researchers noted that the reasons for a relationship between obesity and oral bacteria are likely complex. The observed relationship may be circumstantial as being related to diet or opportunistic due to metabolic changes. In the next phase of this research, they plan to further examine this relationship by initially conducting a controlled cohort study to see if this initial observation can be reproduced. In addition, they hope to conduct longitudinal studies in children to see if oral infection relates to weight gain. Ultimately, the development of strategies to eliminate specific oral bacteria would be required to provide definitive evidence that certain oral bacteria may be responsible for weight gain.

This work was supported in part by Interleukin Genetics and a grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

The Forsyth Institute is the world’s leading independent organization dedicated to scientific research and education in oral health and related biomedical sciences.

Dentists Help Doctors Co-Manage Osteoporosis

Bone-Loss Associated with Both Periodontal Disease and Osteoporosis

Dentists Help Doctors Co-Manage Osteoporosis

Dentists might be able to help prevent bone loss in the mouths of patients with osteoporosis by helping keep periodontal disease at bay, according to a study published in the Journal of Periodontology.

Researchers involved in the 2007 study examined more than 1,200 postmenopausal women looking for a potential association between the bacteria responsible for periodontal disease and bone loss in the oral cavity.

The study showed that women with harmful bacteria in their mouths were also more likely to already have bone loss in their mouths, which, left untreated, could lead to tooth loss.

A follow-up study concluded that tooth loss could be managed and even reduced if periodontal disease is under control in those patients who suffer osteoporosis.

Additional studies have concluded that estrogen deficiency not only increases the progression of osteopenia and osteoporosis – it also contributes to periodontal disease. The study concluded that decreasing gingival inflammation is critical to reduce the amount of attachment loss in women with signs of osteoporosis. Researchers found that protecting the fibers and bone that support the teeth significantly reduced the risk of tooth loss.

These studies draw researchers to the conclusion that postmenopausal women, and especially those with signs of osteoporosis, must work diligently with their dental team to help prevent bone loss in the oral cavity and tooth loss.  One way to do that is to help manage the harmful bacteria known to cause periodontal disease.

Your Patient’s Bad Breath is Likely Caused by a Common Bacteria

Goodbye, Halitosis!

Your Patient’s Bad Breath is Likely Caused by a Common Bacteria

The human mouth is filled with hundreds of bacteria. Many of those bacteria are simply hanging out in the mouth because it’s a nice dark and wet place to live. A few of those bacteria, however, create a waste product called “volatile sulfur compounds” (VSCs) – the root cause of many cases of halitosis (bad breath).

The term “volatile” simply describes the fact that these compounds evaporate readily, even at normal temperatures. The extreme volatility of VSCs explains how these compounds have the ability to offend those around us, instantly.

A person’s mouth is home to  hundreds of different species of bacteria. And on going in our mouth, at all times, is a constant battle for living space between the types of bacteria which do create waste products that cause bad breath and those that don’t. And it is the precise balance between the relative numbers of these two different types of bacteria that will ultimately determine the quality of a person’s breath.

An accumulation of dental plaque creates the perfect conditions for VSC-causing bacteria to thrive on the surfaces of teeth and deep below the gum line. As more and more plaque builds up in a person’s mouth, the bacteria that cause bad breath gain available living space and proliferate, thus increasing the level of odor causing compounds that escape with each breath that is exhaled.

If brushing and flossing alone were enough to combat these VSC-causing bacteria, those who have pretty good dental habits should always have good breath. But bad breath is obviously not always the result of poor dental hygiene, and if antibacterial mouthwashes were the answer, then the same would be true – no one would ever have bad breath.

The true key to eliminating halitosis is to crowd out those VSC-causing bacteria. Probiotic oral care bacteria compete with the bacteria responsible for bad breath. By consuming the same nutrients as the bad-breath-causing bacteria and fighting with them for space on the surfaces of teeth and below the gum line, probiotics crowd out the smelly bacteria and make breath fresh around the clock.

Study Links Periodontal Disease, Cognition

Tooth Loss, Cavities, Gingivitis, Periodontal Disease All Linked to Lower Process of Thought

Study Links Periodontal Disease, Cognition

Researchers at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) released a definitive link between tooth loss/periodontal disease to cognitive decline in one of the largest and longest prospective studies on the topic to date, released in this month’s issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

In what could be called ground-breaking research in the fields of dementia and Alzheimer’s, Dr. Elizabeth Krall Kaye looked for patterns in dental records from 1970 to 1973 to determine if periodontal disease and tooth loss predicted whether people did well or poorly on cognitive tests. She found that for each tooth lost per decade, the risk of doing poorly increased approximately eight to 10 percent.

More cavities usually meant lower cognition – or the process of thought – too. People with no tooth loss tended to do better on the tests.

Dr. Kaye suggests that doctors whose patients are testing poorly for cognitive standards may want to consider dental health. “The findings should also give dentists yet another reason to prevent tooth loss and periodontal disease and encourage patients to do as much as they can to prevent dental disease,” she explained.

With both periodontal disease and dementia/Alzheimer’s incidence rising sharply as Baby Boomers age, these findings could change the future of the hundreds of thousands of people predicted to develop Alzheimer’s and dementia in the next several decades.

Researchers Link Prostate Problems with Periodontal Disease

Inflammation May Be Connection Between Two Common Conditions

Researchers Link Prostate Problems with Periodontal Disease

According to researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine and University Hospitals Case Medical Center, gum disease may be linked to prostate problems, reports a study recently published in the Journal of Periodontology , the official journal of the American Academy of Periodontology.

The researchers concluded that both conditions, periodontal disease and prostatitis both cause inflammation, which may be the link between the conditions.

“Subjects with both high CAL levels and moderate to severe prostatitis have higher levels of PSA or inflammation,” stated Nabil Bissada, chair of the department of periodontics in the dental school.

Because periodontitis has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses associated with aging, the researchers believed a link might exist to prostate disease.

Thirty-five men from a sample of 150 patients qualified for the study, funded by the department of periodontology at the dental school. The participants were selected from patients at the University Hospitals Case Medical Center with mild to severe prostatitis, who had undergone needle biopsies and were found to have inflammation and in some patients, malignancies.

The participants were divided into two groups: those with high PSA levels for moderate or severe prostatitis or a malignancy and those with PSA levels below 4 ng/ml. All had not had dental work done for at least three months and were given an examination to measure the gum health.

Looking at the results, the researchers from the dental school and the department of urology and the Institute of Pathology at the hospital found those with the most severe form of the prostatitis also showed signs for periodontitis.

What the research failed to uncover is how, aside from inflammation, the two conditions are related.

Study Finds Omega-3 Fatty Acid Consumption Lowers Risk of Periodontal Disease

Eating Fatty, Cold Water Fish Can Lower Inflammation, Even in the Gingival Tissues

Study Finds Omega-3 Fatty Acid Consumption Lowers Risk of Periodontal Disease

The Journal Nutrition recently reported that Japanese researchers found that high EPA (eicosaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid Omega-3 levels inversely correlated with progression of periodontal disease in older people.

Periodontal diseases are those diseases that affect one or more of the periodontal tissues – which are tissues that both surround and support the teeth. While many different diseases affect the tooth-supporting structures and tissues, plaque-induced inflammatory lesions make up the vast majority of periodontal diseases. Bacteria in plaque around the teeth slowly damage and erode the gum tissues. The infected gums undergo inflammation and can eventually lead to tooth loss.

The study was conducted on 55 74-year-old participants whose dietary intakes were analyzed and on whom dental examinations were conducted annually for the duration of the 5-year-study.

The results of the study found that the participants who had low levels of DHA experienced more periodontal disease during the study.

Good Sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Salmon, flax seeds and walnuts are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Very good sources of these healthy fats include scallops, cauliflower, cabbage, cloves and mustard seeds. Good sources of these fats include halibut, shrimp, cod, tuna, soybeans, tofu, kale, collard greens, and Brussels sprouts.

Studies have proven that a relatively small number of omega-3 food sources can have a measurable impact on your blood levels of omega-3s, including those two key omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. For example, two weekly servings of a non-fried, omega-3 containing fish (like wild-caught Pacific salmon) is enough to boost your blood levels of omega-3s.

Omega-3 supplements are also an excellent way to boost blood levels of EPA and DHA, but quality is always a concern when purchasing supplements. A quality name brand should be sought when purchasing these supplements as lower quality supplements are more likely to have high levels of mercury, a known neurotoxin.

Dry Mouth Linked to Tooth Decay

An Often Unconsidered Condition

Dry Mouth Linked to Tooth Decay

Saliva. It’s the miracle liquid that helps wash away cavity-causing bacteria and food debris, all the while protecting your tooth enamel.

Research shows that hundreds – up to even 1,000! – of commonly prescribed medications cause dry mouth, reducing the flow of saliva and exponentially increasing the risk of tooth decay.

Research shows that hundreds – up to even 1,000! – of commonly prescribed medications cause dry mouth, reducing the flow of saliva and exponentially increasing the risk of tooth decay. Researchers say that anything that curbs the flow of saliva in the mouth should be of major concern to dentists and hygienists

“Our saliva washes away sugars and other substances that help promote cavities. It neutralizes the acids in our mouths,” says Gene Watson, D.D.S., Ph.D., is director of the Salivary Dysfunction Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center. “Saliva is concentrated with minerals like calcium and phosphate. When you eat sugar, bacteria on your teeth produce acid that demineralizes the teeth a little bit, but then the saliva flows in and replaces the layer that has been removed.”

Researchers say millions of people are at heightened risk for tooth decay because of the medicines they take, particularly the elderly, many of whom take several medications that stem the flow of saliva.

One medication commonly prescribed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder can also cause dry mouth and increase risk of excessive carries development in the children who take it.

Aside from discontinuing use of the medications, patients can make several changes that can reduce their risk of excessive tooth decay at the hands of reduced saliva flow:

1.    Brush their teeth more often and very gently to ensure enamel isn’t damaged.
2.    Have teeth checked every six months without fail. Sometimes a problem will be detected that would require a change in medication to preserve the health of the teeth.
3.    If medications causing dry mouth simply cannot be changed, consider prescribing medications that can increase saliva production to offset the effects of the other medications.

Science at the Service of the Person

An Interview with Dr. Jeffrey Hillman of Oragenics

By Deacon Keith Fournier
5/14/2010
Catholic Online

In 2008 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the faith in the Catholic Church issued their instruction on the “Dignity of the Human Person.” It began with these words “The dignity of a person must be recognized in every human being from conception to natural death. This fundamental principle expresses a great ‘yes’ to human life and must be at the center of ethical reflection on biomedical research, which has an ever greater importance in today’s world.”

The instruction offers “…a word of support and encouragement for the perspective on culture which considers science an invaluable service to the integral good of the life and dignity of every human being. The Church therefore views scientific research with hope and desires that many Christians will dedicate themselves to the progress of biomedicine and will bear witness to their faith in this field. She hopes moreover that the results of such research may also be made available in areas of the world that are poor and afflicted by disease, so that those who are most in need will receive humanitarian assistance.”

As someone who believes deeply that the Catholic Church gives a great “Yes to Life” I am “on the lookout” for men, women and organizations who view science this way. One of the often repeated fallacies one reads in the media is that the Catholic Church opposes Stem Cell research. The truth is the Church opposes deadly stem cell research such as research on human embryos which always results in taking the life of the embryonic human person. It is immoral to take innocent human life even if one can then use parts of the human person who has been killed to develop a potential cure for another.

The Church wholeheartedly supports research on Adult Stem Cells and cells derived from fetal cord blood. Neither type of stem cell research results in the taking of innocent human lives. They also show tremendous promise! As an example of the encouragement of life affirming stem cell research, a spokesman for the Vatican recently made known their strong support for the research being conducted at the University Of Maryland School Of Medicine using adult stem cells.

As a father of five grown children and grandfather to six, I am well aware of the many needs involved in raising healthy children.  That includes their moral, emotional, spiritual and physical health. Of course, their physical health includes their oral hygiene. Research shows the connection between overall health and good oral hygiene.  As a 55 year old man who lost my father to heart disease, I am sensitized to that subject. I was surprised years ago to find the connection between oral and heart disease.

Dental disease is a quiet, yet growing, national epidemic.  New studies, including recently-published reports from the Mayo Clinic, confirm that periodontal disease and poor oral health are linked to heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and other illnesses.  American Dental Association studies show that three out of four of Americans are affected by periodontal disease at some point in their lives. My friend, Catholic Online’s own Dr. Denton, has taught me much about an integrative approach to health which respects the unity of the human person, body, soul and spirit. He has helped me understand the connection between overall health and what he calls “beautiful living.”

I recently became interested in the science of probiotics which respects the amazing curative qualities of our own body. There are both good and bad bacteria in our systems all the time. The good bacteria are the most effective way to minimize the damaging effects of the bad bacteria. We have seen the application of probiotics in the growing number of products, including yogurt, which promote overall digestive health.

Recently I read of an extraordinary application of probiotics in oral health. It was developed by Dr. Jeffrey Hillman, D.M.D., Ph.D. It is the result of more than 25 years of research which began at the Harvard-affiliated Forsyth Institute in Boston and continued at the University of Florida. The technology has only recently become available for the general public. It provides what is called Replacement Therapy for preventing dental caries or cavities.

I sought an interview with Dr. Hillman through a mutual friend. He gladly assented. I found this him to be humble, self effacing, approachable and genuinely committed to good science at the service of the human person and the common good. His academic and professional credentials are extraordinary. However, what really impressed me was his dedication to his work. He told me “People tend to take a simple approach to oral care in our culture. We think in terms of killing all of the bacteria that are present in the mouth. But it’s just not that simple; the human mouth contains many … types of bacteria, including some that are helpful to us.”

It made a lot of sense to me. As the interview progressed I saw the myriad of applications of the Doctor’s discovery. He holds over a dozen patents and has spent his career trying to alleviate suffering. He told me “tooth decay is the most common infectious disease in the world.” I had never really considered that fact. Now, every morning as I brush my teeth I think of it.

I was intrigued when the good Doctor told me he was inspired by Louis Pasteur. Like Pasteur, Dr. Hillman is serious about the potential of science to lessen human suffering. The faith of Pasteur drove his scientific genius toward the good. Above his tomb in the Pasteur Institute are engraved these words “Happy the man who bears within him a divinity, an ideal of beauty and obeys it; an ideal of art, and ideal of science, an ideal of country, and ideal of the virtues of the Gospel.” It is reported that Pasteur died with a rosary in his hand after listening to the life of St. Vincent de Paul.

Dr. Hillman was impressed with the scientists’ genuine humanism and Pasteur’s discovery that there are good bacteria which might one day be used to fight bad bacteria. Pasteur’s scientific discoveries have led to many scientific advances.  Dr. Hillman told me that his idea of expanding probiotic science, the use of good bacteria to combat the bad, in the arena of oral health care was “like a light bulb going off in my head.” He has dedicated over thirty years to this project.

His father told him “If we can succeed in preventing tooth decay we can apply it to other bacteria” and he set about to do just that. In our extensive interview he explained it to me, a non-scientist, in this very understandable way, “The human body is extraordinarily complex. There are 1,000 or more different types of bacteria. They don’t want to hurt us. We feed them, we clothe them, and we take them to the movies. There are relatively few bacteria which can hurt us. We are simply helping the body by improving on the marvelous design, to prevent them from doing so.”

Doctor Hillman has patented his discoveries and now makes it all available in a line of oral health care products for adults and children.  I also heard of the unique business relationship which has been entered into to distribute the products. The Florida-based biotechnology company Oragenics, Inc., (OTCBB:ORNI) and RICCI PHARMA, a recognized health products company with offices in Rome and Slovakia, have entered into a distribution agreement that the parties anticipate will provide Oragenics’ proprietary oral care probiotic products, EvoraPlus® and EvoraKids^TM, to RICCI PHARMA.

RICCI PHARMA will then  have exclusive distribution rights through Duc in Altum, a foundation whose humanitarian projects are inspired by the social teachings of the late Pope John Paul II. Duc in Altum’s honorary chairman is the Polish Pope’s former private secretary for over 30 years, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, currently Archbishop of Krakow. The foundation, whose projects are known by the Holy See and encouraged by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, is expected to further promote Oragenics’ products with the Church’s capillary network of health services.

When the interview ended I was happy to have discovered one more dedicated medical professional promoting science at the service of the human person and the common good.

Raisins Not a Culprit for Tooth Decay

Debunking the Myth

Raisins Not a Culprit for Tooth Decay

It’s long been believed that raisins aren’t the healthiest snack for healthy smiles, but research may debunk that myth, say U.S. researchers.

In addition to the polyphenols, flavonoids and iron in raisins, U.S. researchers also found germ-fighters that may suppress tooth decay. One of the many antimicrobial phytochemicals found in raisins – oleanolic acid – has been shown to suppress the growth of decay-causing Streptococcus mutans.

The compound was effective against the bacteria at concentrations ranging from about 4 to 1,000 µg/ml. At a concentration of 31 µg/ml, oleanolic acid also blocked S. mutans adherence to surfaces. Adherence is crucial for the bacteria to form dental plaque the sticky biofilm consisting of oral bacteria that accumulates on teeth. After a sugary meal, these bacteria release acids that erode the tooth enamel.

Grape seed extract, high in proanthocyanidins, has the potential of being natural agent for non-invasive root caries therapy, the researchers said.

The researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Dentistry hypothesized that raisins contain antimicrobial phytochemicals capable of suppressing oral pathogens associated with caries or periodontal diseases and thus benefit oral health.

Researchers said that the data counters a longstanding public perception that raisins promote cavities.