Tooth Loss: A Health Risk for Older Adults

Tooth loss is a problem that affects many seniors-and since May is Older Americans Month, this is a good time to talk about it. Did you know that more than a quarter of adults over age 75 have lost all of their natural teeth? This not only affects their quality of life, but poses a significant health risk.

According to a study in The Journal of Prosthodontics, significant tooth loss is associated with increased risk for malnutrition-and also for obesity. If this seems like a contradiction, consider that when you have few or no teeth, it's much easier to eat soft, starchy foods of little nutritional value than it is to eat nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables.

That's just one reason why it's important to replace missing teeth as soon as possible. There are several ways to replace a full set of missing teeth including removable dentures, overdentures, and fixed dentures.

Removable dentures are the classic "false teeth" that you put in during the day and take out at night. Dentures have come a long way in terms of how convincing they look as replacement teeth, but they still have some disadvantages: For one thing, they take some getting used to-particularly while eating. Also, wearing removable dentures can slowly wear away the bone that they rest on. As that bone gradually shrinks over time, the dentures cease to fit well and require periodic adjustment (re-lining).

Overdentures are removable dentures that hook onto a few strategically placed dental implants, which are small titanium posts placed in the bone beneath your gums. Strong and secure, implants prevent the denture from slipping when you wear it. Implants also slow the rate of bone loss mentioned above, which should allow the denture to fit better over a longer period of time. But overdentures, too, are not meant to be worn all of the time.

Fixed dentures are designed to stay in your mouth all the time, and are the closest thing to having your natural teeth back. An entire row of fixed (non-removable) replacement teeth can usually be held in place by 4-6 dental implants. Dental implant surgery is an in-office procedure performed with the type of anesthesia that's right for you. After implants have been placed and have integrated with your jaw bone-generally a period of a few months-you can enjoy all of your favorite foods again without worry or embarrassment.

If you would like more information about tooth-replacement options, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation.

Dental Injury Is Just a Temporary Setback for Basketball Star Kevin Love

The March 27th game started off pretty well for NBA star Kevin Love. His team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, were coming off a 5-game winning streak as they faced the Miami Heat that night. Less than two minutes into the contest, Love charged in for a shot on Heat center Jordan Mickey-but instead of a basket, he got an elbow in the face that sent him to the floor (and out of the game) with an injury to his mouth.

In pictures from the aftermath, Love's front tooth seemed clearly out of position. According to the Cavs' official statement, "Love suffered a front tooth subluxation." But what exactly does that mean, and how serious is his injury?

The dental term "subluxation" refers to one specific type of luxation injury-a situation where a tooth has become loosened or displaced from its proper location. A subluxation is an injury to tooth-supporting structures such as the periodontal ligament: a stretchy network of fibrous tissue that keeps the tooth in its socket. The affected tooth becomes abnormally loose, but as long as the nerves inside the tooth and the underlying bone have not been damaged, it generally has a favorable prognosis.

Treatment of a subluxation injury may involve correcting the tooth's position immediately and/or stabilizing the tooth-often by temporarily splinting (joining) it to adjacent teeth-and maintaining a soft diet for a few weeks. This gives the injured tissues a chance to heal and helps the ligament regain proper attachment to the tooth. The condition of tooth's pulp (soft inner tissue) must also be closely monitored; if it becomes infected, root canal treatment may be needed to preserve the tooth.

So while Kevin Love's dental dilemma might have looked scary in the pictures, with proper care he has a good chance of keeping the tooth. Significantly, Love acknowledged on Twitter that the damage "...could have been so much worse if I wasn't protected with [a] mouthguard."

Love's injury reminds us that whether they're played at a big arena, a high school gym or an outdoor court, sports like basketball (as well as baseball, football and many others) have a high potential for facial injuries. That's why all players should wear a mouthguard whenever they're in the game. Custom-made mouthguards, available for a reasonable cost at the dental office, are the most comfortable to wear, and offer protection that's superior to the kind available at big-box retailers.

If you have questions about dental injuries or custom-made mouthguards, , please visit our website at www.myparkdental.com, or contact us here, or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine articles "The Field-Side Guide to Dental Injuries" and "Athletic Mouthguards."

Sealants Could Protect Your Child's Teeth From Future Problems

Teeth lost to tooth decay can have devastating consequences for a child's dental health. Not only can it disrupt their current nutrition, speech and social interaction, it can also skew their oral development for years to come.

Fortunately, we have a number of preventive tools to curb decay in young children. One of the most important of these, dental sealants, has been around for decades. We apply these resin or glass-like material coatings to the pits and crevices of teeth (especially molars) to help prevent the buildup of bacterial plaque in areas where bacteria tend to thrive.

Applying sealants is a simple and pain-free process. We first brush the coating in liquid form onto the teeth's surface areas we wish to protect. We then use a special curing light to harden the sealant and create a durable seal.

So how effective are sealants in preventing tooth decay? Two studies in recent years reviewing dental care results from thousands of patients concluded sealants could effectively reduce cavities even four years after their application. Children who didn't receive sealants had cavities at least three times the rate of those who did.

Sealant applications, of course, have some expense attached to them. However, it's far less than the cost for cavity filling and other treatments for decay, not to mention future treatment costs resulting from previous decay. What's more important, though, is the beneficial impact sealants can have a child's dental health now and on into adulthood. That's why sealants are recommended by both the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

And while sealants are effective, they're only one part of a comprehensive strategy to promote your child's optimum dental health. Daily brushing and flossing, a "tooth-friendly" diet and regular dental cleanings and checkups are also necessary in helping to keep your child's teeth healthy and free of tooth decay.

If you would like more information on preventing tooth decay in children, please contact our office or schedule a consultation.

Margot Robbie Knows: A Great Smile Is Worth Protecting

On the big screen, Australian-born actress Margot Robbie may be best known for playing devil-may-care anti-heroes-like Suicide Squad member Harley Quinn and notorious figure skater Tonya Harding. But recently, a discussion of her role in Peter Rabbit proved that in real life, she's making healthier choices. When asked whether it was hard to voice a character with a speech impediment, she revealed that she wears retainers in her mouth at night, which gives her a noticeable lisp.

"I actually have two retainers," she explained, "one for my bottom teeth which is for grinding my teeth, and one for my top teeth which is just so my teeth don't move."

Clearly Robbie is serious about protecting her dazzling smile. And she has good reasons for wearing both of those retainers. So first, let's talk about retainers for teeth grinding.

Also called bruxism, teeth grinding affects around 10 percent of adults at one time or another, and is often associated with stress. If you wake up with headaches, sore teeth or irritated gums, or your sleeping partner complains of grinding noises at night, you may be suffering from nighttime teeth grinding without even being aware of it.

A type of retainer called an occlusal guard is frequently recommended to alleviate the symptoms of bruxism. Typically made of plastic, this appliance fits comfortably over your teeth and prevents them from being damaged when they rub against each other. In combination with stress reduction techniques and other conservative treatments, it's often the best way to manage teeth grinding.

Orthodontic retainers are also well-established treatment devices. While appliances like braces or aligners cause teeth to move into better positions, retainers are designed to keep teeth from moving-helping them to stay in those positions. After active orthodontic treatment, a period of retention is needed to allow the bite to stabilize. Otherwise, the teeth can drift right back to their old locations, undoing the time and effort of orthodontic treatment.

So Robbie has got the right idea there too. However, for those who don't relish the idea of wearing a plastic appliance, it's often possible to bond a wire retainer to the back surfaces of the teeth, where it's invisible. No matter which kind you choose, wearing a retainer can help keep your smile looking great for many years to come.

If you have questions about teeth grinding or orthodontic retainers, , please visit our website at www.myparkdental.com, or contact us here, or schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can also learn more about this topic by reading the Dear Doctor magazine articles "Teeth Grinding" and "The Importance of Orthodontic Retainers."