New Dental Device Can See 'Invisible' Tooth Decay and Plaque

A team of scientists from the University of Liverpool are working on a device that will be able to identify early tooth decay, and plaque before it is visible to the human eye.

The innovation will include "a clinical digital camera which incorporates Qualitative Light Induced Fluorescence (QLF) technology, to take images of the mouth using blue light and special filters which can show cavities and plaque."  After the images are taken, they can be easily transferred via wireless technology to a PC, laptop, iPad or smart phone, so a dental care professional can give an immediate assessment and evaluation.

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.

How often should I brush and floss?

It's not a secret that brushing and flossing help control the plaque and bacteria that cause dental disease. The bacteria in plaque convert certain food particles into acids that can cause tooth decay. In case if plaque remains there, it can easily turn into tartar, after what they start destroying the gums and bone, causing periodontal disease (in case the plaque and tartar are not removed). These issues can only be controlled by regular brushing and flossing.

Nutrition and Good Oral Health

It's not a secret that if you want to be an owner of the healthy teeth and of a good oral hygiene you should pick the right foods in your diet as it's a very important aspect in having your teeth healthy. Taking in habits correct nutrition, especially for kids and teenagers can be beneficial for good eating patterns and choices of the foods throughout their lives.

So here comes a question: how nutrition affects our oral health? It's quite easy to explain: the foods that you eat come in contact with bacteria that live in your mouth. In case you do not brush, plaque will amass on your teeth. From the first look choosing a healthy diet may seem to be easy, nevertheless such products as milk, cereals, bread, fruits contain sugars and starches and it goes without saying that carbonated sodas, any other sweet drinks and sugary snack foods should be limited or removed from the diet at all.