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Chessington Dental Practice Blog

Food You Can Eat When You Can?t Brush Your Teeth

teeth health smileCrunchy foods are not only good for your health but are good for your teeth as well. Crunchy foods such as carrots and celery act as toothbrushes by cleaning the teeth.

Key takeaways:

  • Crisp or firm foods when eaten can help to clean your teeth after a meal.
  • Common foods that will help you maintain clean healthy teeth are celery, apples, carrots, and unsweetened popcorn.
  • For the best results, these foods should be eaten after meals.
For best results, make ?detergent? foods the final food you eat in your meal if you know you can?t brush your teeth straight after eating.

Read the full story here

http://www.rd.com/health/wellness/4-foods-to-eat-when-you-cant-brush-your-teeth/

Tooth Pain Linked to Sinus Congestion

dental toothache sinusTooth pain linked to sinus congestion is a dull and throbbing pain. It has been likened to the pain caused by cavities.

Key takeaways:

The inflamed sinuses push or press against the roots of upper teeth in close proximity to the sinus cavity.

The constant pressure on the roots of teeth will lead to severe pain similar to a cavity or severe toothache.

Tooth pain caused by sinus congestion can be diagnosed by a dentist and treated through the use of antibiotics, decongestants, antihistamines and routine nasal washes.

A sinus infection left untreated can lead to more severe conditions such as an eye infection, brain infection and bone infection, according to the Mayo Clinic. Seek dental advice before treating tooth pain or concluding it is the result of nasal congestion.

Read the full story here

http://www.livestrong.com/article/127775-tooth-pain-sinus-congestion/

What to Expect During a Dental Implant Procedure

dentalimplants smile teeth denturesYou may be considering having dental implants to replace missing teeth. Dental implants are very popular, and have given many people the great smiles they have wanted. Key takeaways:

Dental implants can replace a single tooth or multiple teeth, and can make dentures secure so they don't slip.

  • The implant is usually made of titanium and will last a lifetime.

The screw-like parts are placed into the jaw bone and are meant to imitate the root of the tooth. The crown is colour-matched to your natural teeth.

Most patients report that they were much more comfortable after the procedure than they had anticipated. The surgery is done in the dental office with local anesthesia but can also be done with I.V.

Read the full story here

https://www.verywell.com/what-to-expect-during-a-dental-implant-procedure-1059372

Myth Busters about Caring For the Teeth

teeth health smileInformation about taking care of the teeth is confusing. These are a few myths, along with the truth.
Key takeaways:

  • Baby teeth do not matter: That's a myth. Decay of baby teeth may harm the permanent teeth that appear in later life.
  • Mouthwash instead of brushing: That's a myth. Only brushing is capable of getting rid of plaque that builds up on the teeth.
  • Older people need not brush teeth: That's a myth. Brushing is important across all ages. Older people can enjoy better quality life by regularly brushing teeth.
We recommend brushing the gums, tongue and palate with a soft-bristled brush. Dentures should be cleaned daily with a strong but soft bristled brush to remove food deposits and plaque.

Read the full story here

https://www.bda.org/public/myth-busters-on-brushing-teeth

Your Dental Health Affects Your Skin

teeth health smileDid you know that oral health can have an impact on how your skin looks? Learn more about things that your dermatologist would want to share with you.

Key takeaways:

  • Regular dental cleaning and checkups have a role to play in maintaining healthy skin. Poor dental health may lead to loss of bone density around the jaws.
  • Good dental health and bone density are critical for the prevention of perioral wrinkles.
  • Use of supplements such as collagen supplementation will help boost the proteins in the skin, collage and elastin.
Therefore, use a broad spectrum sunscreen daily with an SPF 30 or higher, and reapply every two hours when in the sun. You should also moisturize, moisturize, moisturize to maintain the skin barrier.

Read the full story here

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/dermatologist-skin-tips

Habits to Avoid If You Want Healthy Teeth

 teeth men health smileDrinking lots of red wine poses great damage to the teeth. Red wine contains acids that soften tooth enamel. Tannins in red wine may also stain teeth.
Key takeaways:

  • Avoid chewing on ice since it may lead to cracking and chipping of teeth.
  • Sports drinks are a big danger for your teeth owing to the fact they contain sugars, acids and chemical additives that corrode tooth enamel.
  • Brushing too hard and brushing immediately after meals have the same effect on tooth enamel. Acids in food soften tooth enamel and brushing will easily erode enamel.
Dentists recommend that you get our teeth cleaned every six months?but many people skip it, which can lead to big problems down the line, says Dr. Schwartz.

Read the full story here

http://www.menshealth.com/health/habits-you-should-avoid-for-healthy-teeth

DNA of Ancient Teeth Reveals Dog, Human Link

teeth healthDNA analysis of fossils from sites that dated back 5000 and 7000 years ago has found copies of genes that code for starch digestion. The gene was found in about four dogs that had eight copies of the gene.

Key takeaways:

  • A team of researchers has come across genetic evidence that both humans and dogs developed the ability to digest starch at the same time.
  • Through DNA analysis of fossils unearthed in Eurasia, the researchers identified copies of the AQmy2B gene, known to help digest starches.
  • The ability to digest starch is a unique characteristic among canines and it allowed dogs to co-exist with human beings.
The finding also indicates that dogs likely developed a means for digesting starches during the same time period as did humans, a sign that dogs and humans were co-existing and that both were gaining an ability to live at least partly off the crops that humans learned to grow.

Read the full story here

http://phys.org/news/2016-11-dna-analysis-ancient-teeth-dogs.html

Sugary and Caffeinated Drinks Impact Sleep

sugar teeth health sleepSugar intake and sleep quantity reinforce each other in the form of a positive feedback loop. A study that sought to evaluate the relationship between sugar-intake and sleep quantity presented these findings:

Key takeaways:

  • People will drink significantly more sugar-sweetened and caffeinated drinks if they get little sleep.
  • Sleeping for less than five hours predisposed people to drinking 21 percent more sugar sweetened, caffeinated beverages.
  • By improving their sleep, people can then improve on their ability to break the habit and limit their sugar intake.
"We think there may be a positive feedback loop where sugary drinks and sleep loss reinforce one another, making it harder for people to eliminate their unhealthy sugar habit," said lead author Aric Prather, an assistant professor of psychiatry.

Read the full story here

https://consumer.healthday.com/sleep-disorder-information-33/misc-sleep-problems-news-626/briefs-emb-11-9-10amet-sleep-sweet-drinks-sleep-health-ucsf-release-batch-2956-716666.html

Bruxism in Middle-Aged Women Is Soaring

dentist TMJ teeth grinding People who grind their teeth don't realize they have the problem until their dentists point it out. Teeth grinding is serious as it damages tooth enamel. A dentist can help with this serious problem.

Key takeaways:

  • An estimated 6 million people in Britain suffer from bruxism, with an increasing number of cases among middle-aged women.
  • Bruxism may cause migraines, jaw pain, earaches, chipped tooth enamel and other problems.
  • The major cause of bruxism is stress. Everyday stressors such as juggling jobs, family, childcare and ageing parents are predisposing women to teeth grinding.
When we sleep, any worries or concerns we have, even if only in our subconscious mind, can lead to clenching, nocturnal grinding and, in some cases, pain and dysfunction of the jaw muscles.

Read the full story here

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3921612/Why-successful-women-started-grinding-teeth-stress-strain-juggling-jobs-childcare-looking-ageing-parents.html

Good dental care Could Help Prevent a Heart Attack

teeth, oral health, dental health, A simple thing such as regularly brushing teeth could have a big impact in promoting good heart health. The use of plaque-fighting toothpaste reduces the levels of inflammation in the body that lead to heart disease. The effect was similar to taking statin drugs -- but without the side effects.

Key takeaways:

  • Thoroughly brushing the teeth with plaque-fighting toothpaste helps to prevent stroke and heart attacks.
  • The use of plaque-fighting toothpaste was twice as effective in removing plaque and a 29 percent drop in inflammation levels.
  • Other measures prevent artery-damaging inflammation include reduction of sugar consumption.
The reduction in C-reactive protein seen with the better tooth cleaning could translate into a reduced risk of heart disease, but this would require a much larger and longer-term study to prove.

Read the full story here

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/10/19/how-brushing-your-teeth-could-help-prevent-a-heart-attack/

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