Periodontal Disease and Heart-related Risks

A large Korean study that involved more than 7,000 adults unveiled that periodontal disease is linked with a metabolic syndrome.  These conditions put people at risk for diabetes, heart disease as well as other health problems.

The Korean researchers used information from the fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

People are diagnosed with a metabolic syndrome if they have three or more of the following:

Study Says: Keeping Healthy Can Lower Dementia Risk

When it comes to the risk of developing Alzheimer's or another type of dementia, researchers say that not maintaining your general health may contribute to development of these types of brain disorders.

"Our study suggests that rather than just paying attention to already known risk factors for dementia, such as diabetes or heart disease, keeping up with your general health may help reduce the risk for dementia," stated principal investigator Dr. Kenneth Rockwood, director of geriatric medicine research, in Dalhousie University.

Dentists Don't Give Preference to Children on Medicaid

According to recent research performed by Joanna Bisgaier, MSW, from the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and her team; dentists avoid giving appointments to children in the combined Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program.

A team of researchers from the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, aimed to check out the affect of insurance status on dentists' sharpness to allot an appointment for young people.

Obesity Leads to Poor Oral Health

According to a recent study by the British Dental Health Foundation, "Poor oral health has joined the list of knock-on effects of obesity."

Just a few years ago, 1.5 billion adults (ages 20 and older,) were overweight, of that number, over 200 million men and about 300 million women were obese.  Periodontal pockets are food and plaque traps that irritate and decay teeth to the point that the tooth will finally fall out.

Hospital Stays Deteriorate Oral Health

According to recent research studies, during hospitalization, ones oral health deteriorates.  It is connected to an increased risk of hospital-acquired infections and a reduced quality of life.

The research claims that overlooked oral health in hospitals can lead to potentially serious consequences.  The research found that plaque accumulation, and gingival as well as mucosal inflammation was rapidly increased, especially amongst among patients who had breathing problems.   

African-Americans Get a Raw Deal on Dental Care?

The fact that African Americans tend to get poorer dental care in comparison to white Americans peaked the interest of researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the College of Dental Medicine.  The researchers surveyed African American adults with recent oral health symptoms.

The poll was conducted through a qualitative survey of 118 men and women.  Despite the fact that most of adults (75 percent) in the study claimed to have at least some type of dental insurance coverage, it was appreciably limited to Medicaid (50%) only 21% claimed to have a private coverage and 4 % noted other types of dental insurance.

CSADC Reached 16,000 Children during National Children's Dental Health Month

During National Children's Dental Health Month, which took place in February, more than 16,000 children across the country received free dental screenings and/or oral health education, announced Church Street Health Management (CSHM).

This was the third year when "Healthy Child, Happy Smile Day," together with supporting community outreach initiatives provided free dental screenings and taught children about brushing and flossing and the importance of regular dental visits.

As part of the company's "Healthy Child, Happy Smile Day," Church Street Health Management's associated network of (which consists of more than 70 dental clinics in 22 states throughout the U.S.) caregivers held free screenings and community events.

Children Receive Free Dental Health Kits at NASCAR Event

During "SpeedFest," which took place on March 12th, the younger NASCAR fans learned how to improve their oral health and score free oral health kits.  Nearly 7,000 area children enjoyed the festivities. The SpeedFest kits include a card with oral health tips, together with a toothbrush, toothpaste and Henry Schein dental floss.

The program is an annual initiative of American Dental Association, where children from low-income families across the United States get free oral health care services. This year, more than 12,000 dentists nationwide are expected to provide free oral health care to almost 400,000 under served children.

Ameritas Group Funds for Oral Cancer Research

Not so long ago, the University of Nebraska Foundation was given a $250,000 gift commitment by The Ameritas Group (a division of Ameritas Life Insurance Corporation). The money was destined for the establishment of a permanent endowment in support of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Dentistry. The fund is also known to provide financial support every year, for "research focused on preventing, detecting and treating oral cancer."

Dental Care As Your Child Grows

As children grow up, the American Dental Association (ADA) advises parents to pay close attention to what kinds of products their children are eating and drinking. It's no secret that the nutrition we take in not only affects our general health, but our oral health as well. In addition, the American Dental Association warns that a diet high in sugar may very well be cause for significant damage not only to children's teeth,  but to adults teeth as well.  Sugar-coated teeth become a breeding ground for bacteria; which then produces acid.  It is this acid that eats away at  the enamel on our teeth.

In order to reduce the risks of childhood tooth decay, the ADA gives the following suggestion's:

Orthodontic Treatment Changes Must Be Explained to the Public

The British Dental Association (BDA) stated that "changes to the future provision of Health Service orthodontic treatment have to be fully explained to patients waiting for care". In order to decide which cases should be funded by the Health Service, the General Dental Services will see the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN). The new regulations will stipulate that Health Service orthodontic treatment will be restricted to patients who score 3.6 or more on the IOTN scale.

Peter Crooks, Chair of the BDA Northern Ireland Dental Practice Committee, stated that:

The Negative Effects of Smoking to Your Teeth

Besides the fact that such substances like tobacco can cause respiratory diseases, smoking has loads of negative effects to your health, as the dangerous substances pass through the pulmonary vein, heart and eventually the brain. Studies show that tobacco and nicotine containing cigarettes cause respiratory problems, it affects women's reproductive system and can cause vascular abnormalities like heart attacks, stroke, etc.

The fact is, that smoking does not only affect ones health and ones body inside, it influences to the appearance of the smoker. If one smokes for quite a long term, he or she may look older than they are, as it affects the skin, as well as oral hygiene. Among its common

How to Spot a Fake Dentist

Now-a-days, more and more people become conscious on what they put in their mouths. Taking into account that health concerns are common topics, many people consider taking vitamins in order to maintain their health as well as many take out additional insurance, as they understand how important is to get the best possible service in case they get sick. Considering this fact, it is still quite interesting to mention that only some people pay close attention to their heath care professionals, specifically what is concerning the dental industry. It goes without saying that dentists are not that popular subjects as their practice. 

If you don’t know how to distinguish a fake dentist, here are some tips for you:

Remove Your Problem Teeth - Tooth Extractions

Luckily, with modern medical technology, teeth extractions are not so terrifying as they used to be couple of decades ago. I am not talking about that the delaying a tooth extraction is more harmful to your health than in fact making the dental appointment.

There are numerous of reasons which can make a person venture to a tooth extraction (when a qualified dentist removes a tooth from its socket in the bone), such as impaction for instance, which happens when a tooth starts to grow in without the room; that's actually the reason why most wisdom teeth require dental extraction, as they are naturally positioned to grow in without the space to grow into.

Dental Health Issues among Children

It goes without saying that nothing brings more joy to mother than seeing her child smile for the first time. However, as children grow up, the appearance of their smiles depends on the health of their teeth. Consequently, it is quite important for a child to understand dental health importance from the early years.

In fact, factors affecting a child's dental health depend on the age. Babies 4 months old to 3 years old frequently have tooth decay, because of excessive sugar concentration and thumb sucking; the bacteria stay on the baby's mouth, feeding the sugar trapped on the teeth.