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November is National Diabetes Month

DIABETES AND PERIODONTAL DISEASE

Diabetic patients are more likely to develop periodontal disease, which in turn can increase blood sugar and diabetic complications.

People with diabetes are more likely to have periodontal disease than people without diabetes, probably because people with diabetes are more susceptible to contracting infections. In fact, periodontal disease is often considered a complication of diabetes. Those people who don't have their diabetes under control are especially at risk.

Research has suggested that the relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease goes both ways - periodontal disease may make it more difficult for people who have diabetes to control their blood sugar.

Severe periodontal disease can increase blood sugar, contributing to increased periods of time when the body functions with a high blood sugar. This puts people with diabetes at increased risk for diabetic complications. perio.org

If you have diabetes, be sure to schedule regular appointments with your dentist and well as your physician.  If you'd like more information or would like to schedule an appointment in our office, please call Dr. James B. Miller at (480) 451-5435.  We look forward to meeting you.

The Psychological Issues of Poor Dental Care

Having bad teeth can bring with it a lot of psychological issues, such as insecurities and lack of self esteem. Can repairing your teeth improve your mental health as well? The answer seems to be a resounding “yes.”

Your Mouth and Your Body

For years, medical professionals have warned that poor dental health can affect your overall physical health. They have established links between poorly-maintained teeth and heart problems, as bacteria from your mouth can slip into your bloodstream. They have also uncovered links between gum disease and pregnancy complications, like premature birth. Immune system disorders are another common concern for people with oral health problems.

Researchers have even started to explore how poor dental health can affect the brain. The Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York discovered that there may be a link between bad teeth and cognition ailments. In their study, elderly people who suffered from gum disease performed worse on memory tests than those without gum trouble. That same group also struggled more than the rest with subtraction tests.

Your Mouth and Your Mind

Beyond physical problems, having bad teeth can cause psychological issues. After all, your mouth is usually a point of focus when socializing, whether you are talking, flashing a smile, or twisting a scowl. Given the mouth’s importance, it makes sense why feeling self-conscious about your teeth can be especially damaging. Here are some ways bad teeth can trigger psychological issues.

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• Anxiety, Especially when Socializing:

If you’re self conscious about one of your most important communication tools, it can ravage your ability to socialize comfortably. People who think they have bad teeth may want to avoid doing anything to expose them, which can start an unhealthy cycle of self-monitoring and criticism. It impedes a person’s ability to speak clearly, and it eliminates one of the most effective nonverbal ways to strike up rapport: cracking a genuine smile.

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• Low Self-Esteem:

Confidence stems from feeling good about yourself. If you are always worried about your teeth, it is difficult to feel confident, and that can seriously strip away at your self esteem. Having bad teeth can also trigger self esteem issues that extend beyond how others think; in some cases, people begin to feel guilty about the state of their teeth, engaging in a lot of self criticism about their ineffective oral hygiene habits, which can exacerbate issues about self image.

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• Depression:

Anxiety, poor social experiences, low self esteem, and guilt are a recipe for depression. Not only can they all contribute to isolation, which comes with its own share of problems, but they establish a psychological state that is both self-loathing and reluctant to engage with the world. While not everyone will experience all those symptoms, those who do could sink into deep depression unless they get help.

Studies from different countries in Europe suggest that poor dental care and psychological issues can develop into a vicious cycle. Those with high self esteem tend to take better care of their teeth, and the resulting bright smiles contribute right back to the high self esteem they hold. On the other hand, people with low self esteem tend to brush less often, and then the poor state of their teeth can make them feel even worse.

That means it is important to get serious about dental care. Not only does commitment to oral hygiene contribute to better physical health, it seems to significantly influence mental health, too.

publichealthbugle.com

Chewing Gum Improves Concentration

Chewing a piece of sugarless gum after lunch can not only help you protect your dental health, but also help focus to avoid that afternoon slump in productivity, according to researchers at Cardiff University in Wales.

 

The study, published in the British Journal of Psychology, evaluated the concentration of 38 participants who were given a short-term audio memory test.  Half the participants were instructed to chew gum during the 30-minute test. All of them listened to a list of numbers from 1-9 being read in random order and were scored on how accurately and quickly they were able to detect a sequence of odd-even-odd numbers. Participants also completed questionnaires on their mood before and after the test.  Researchers found that participants who chewed gum had quicker reaction times and more accurate results, especially during the later part of the test.  “It’s been well established by previous research that chewing gum can benefit some areas of cognition,” said Kate Morgan, the study’s lead author.” In our study we focused on an audio task that involved short-term memory recall to see if chewing gum would improve concentration; especially in the latter stages of the task.Interestingly, participants who didn’t chew gum performed slightly better at the beginning of the task but were overtaken by the end. This suggests that chewing gum helps us focus on tasks that require continuous monitoring over a longer amount of time.”

 

According to MouthHealthy.org, the ADA’s consumer website,clinical studies have shown that chewing sugarless gum for 20 minutes following meals can help prevent tooth decay.

Chewing sugarless gum increases the flow of saliva, which washes away food and other debris, neutralizes acids produced by bacteria in the mouth and provides disease-fighting substances throughout the mouth. Increased saliva flow also carries with it more calcium and phosphate to help strengthen tooth enamel.

 

Only sugarless gums have the ADA Seal, and are sweetened by non-cavity causing sweeteners such as aspartame, xylitol, sorbitol or mannitol. Of course, chewing sugar-containing gum increases saliva flow too, but it also contains sugar, which is used by plaque bacteria to produce decay-causing acids. Further research needs to be done to determine the effects of chewing sugar-containing gum on tooth decay.

 

Don’t let chewing sugarless gum replace brushing and flossing. It’s not a substitute. The ADA still recommends brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning plaque from between your teeth once a day with dental floss or other interdental cleaners.

Look for chewing gum that carries the ADA Seal. The ADA Seal is your assurance that the sugar-free chewing gum has met the ADA criteria for safety and effectiveness. You can trust that claims made on packaging and labeling for ADA-accepted products are true, because companies must verify all of the information to the ADA.

 

*Visit MouthHealthy.org to see and compare a list of sugar-free chewing gums that have the ADA Seal.*