Natural Treatment for Canker Sores

Canker sores are very common and affect as many as 1 in 5 people. The causes can vary between hormones, genetics and food allergies. Also known as recurrent aphthous ulcers, canker sores cause severe mouth pain and make it difficult to eat and speak comfortably. There are several over-the-counter and prescription treatments available but if you prefer a natural treatment, licorice root can do the trick.

Historically licorice root extract has been recommended in the treatment of gastric ulcers, and now there are self-adhering patches of licorice root extract that dissolve slowly directly on the canker sore. The extract helps speed the healing time to as little as three days and can significantly reduce pain.

If you experience regular canker sores it's also a good idea to pay attention to what you eat. Including tissue-regenerating vitamins and minerals in your diet such as vitamin C and zinc also helps increase healing time.

Tongue Piercings Causing Gapped Teeth

In a study published by the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics, a link has been shown between the wearing of a tongue piercing and the separation of the two front teeth. The case study was of a 26-year old female who reported that after having worn her tongue ring for seven years her two front teeth slowly drifted apart until there was a huge gap between them. The separation required the female to receive 16 months of orthodontic treatment to completely seal the gap. Although the problem was fixable, it was very costly both monetarily and time-wise.

Oral piercings are known to cause a wide array of oral and dental issues. Tongue piercings in particular can cause bleeding, pain, swelling, chipped and fractured teeth, mouth and brain abscesses and gum recession. Our word to the wise, know the risks and weigh the benefits before getting any oral piercings.

Source: Midline Diastema Caused by Tongue Piercing, Journal of Clinical Orthodontics, VOLUME 44 : NUMBER 07 : PAGES (426-428) 2010.

New Test For Detecting Oral Cancer

The USA's National Institute of Health recently awarded $2 million to the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The money is go towards research and development of a new test for detecting oral cancer easily in the dentist's office. The current method requires a piece of tissue to be removed from a patient's mouth (usually at a hospital) which is then sent away to a pathologist for analysis. The whole process can take a couple of weeks, is costly and requires multiple visits for the patient.

This new method only requires a simple brush scrape of the inside of the mouth and then gets inserted into an analyzing machine. The analyzer takes only 8-10 minutes to deliver results so the patient can be informed before leaving the office.

With oral cancer early detection is critical to increase the chances of survival. Currently the survival rate is only about 50% because it is more difficult to detect. However, with this new brush-scrape test that will be able to be performed directly in the dentist's office as soon as a suspicious lesion is detected, the survival rate is expected to increase to close to 90%.

Source: MedicalNewsToday.com,"Life-Saving New Dentist Test to Detect Oral Cancer". Article Date: 10 Aug 2010.

Link Between Alhzheimer's and Gum Inflammation!

If you're looking on ways to cut back on your health care expenses, here is a reason you need to keep up with your dental checkups. On July 16th an NYU 20-year long study was presented at the International Association for Dental Research in Barcelona, Spain, that showed that gum disease can significantly increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease. The link stems from evidence that inflammation of the gums leads to inflammation of the brain causing neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's.

The study began in 1984 on 152 subjects, all over the age of 70 years old. The participants who had periodontal (gum) inflammation were 9 times more likely to test lower in cognitive ability assessments than those participants who did not have periodontal inflammation.

Source: MedicalNewsToday.com, "Link Between Gum Inflammation And Alzheimer's Disease Supported By New Evidence From NYUCD". Article Date: 05 Aug 2010

The First Supermarket Dentist

UK citizens can now see the dentist while they shop. This week British celebrity dentist Lance Knight opened the first dental practice located inside of a supermarket. So far it has been a success as the supermarket dentist's first patients love the idea and ease of seeing the dentist and grocery shopping at the same place, and are satisfied with their treatments and low costs. The office is open 7 days a week from 8am-8pm giving the locals ample access to a variety of dentistry services.

The goal of the supermarket location idea is to make dental procedures and advice more accessible to the everyday person, something that has recently become more difficult in the UK with its recent shortage of dentists. Estimates are that in some areas half of the population is without a dentist and as a result thousands have been forced to travel abroad to Hungary, Croatia and Poland to seek treatment.

How Diabetes Affects Dental Health

Diabetes elevates the sugar levels in blood, negatively affecting many parts of the body, including teeth and gums. Type II diabetes patients have a 3 times greater chance of developing gum disease, and higher risks of: cavities, tooth loss, gum disease, dry mouth and many other ailments of the mouth. The relationship between diabetes and oral health works both ways, also. Poor oral health and any resulting infections can make blood sugar levels rise making diabetes more difficult to manage.

Higher blood sugar levels provide the bacteria in your mouth with more of the sugars they feed on and then turn into acid. This increases the amount of acid in the mouth that deteriorates the enamel leaving teeth more susceptible to cavities and decay. Increased levels of plaque, if not properly and frequently removed can also lead to gingivitis (swelling and sensitivity of gums), and periodontitis (receding gums).

Diabetes patients also frequently suffer from dry mouth, where salivary glands do not produce sufficient amounts of saliva and this can cause a wide range of problems including cavities and gingivitis. Oral surgery is also complicated by diabetes as it takes longer for patients to heal and there is an increased chance of infection.

If you have diabetes it is important to inform your dentist and also remind them on regular visits. Managing diabetes is a huge factor in these issues as well; the more you have your diabetes in control the less chance you have of experiencing these oral health problems.

Lavender In The Dental Office

A study done recently in London on 340 dental patients determined that the scent of lavender has a significant impact on the anxiety of patients while waiting for their scheduled dentist appointments.

Half of the patients in the study were exposed to the scent of lavender that came from warmed lavender oil in the waiting room and the other half were not. The entire study took place over a four week period in a regular clinic and every patient was given a questionnaire to assess their current level of anxiety while waiting.

The results - Those exposed to the scent reported anxiety levels averaging 7.4 compared an average level 10.4 for those not exposed to the scent, a substantial difference. Interestingly though, the anxiety level measured was regarding how they felt about their current dentist appointment and the anxiety-reducing affect was not found when discussing future dentist appointments.