Dental Health Matters for Pets Too

There’s a good reason that one of the first things we teach children is proper tooth brushing technique. Dental health is crucial for overall health. And you may not think about it as often, but pets also require regular dental care. Experts say that the stakes are a lot higher than maintaining pretty teeth and avoiding dreaded doggy breath.


“Untreated plaque and tartar will eventually lead to gingivitis and periodontal disease in the mouth,” warns Dr. Rod Van Horn, a veterinarian and member of the American Veterinary Dental Society. “And those same bacteria could enter the blood stream, leading to heart disease or filter through the kidneys and liver.”


With good habits and veterinary-strength pet dental products, pet parents can help avoid these serious health problems. Here are some top dog dental care tips that will keep teeth their sparkly best:


• Veterinarians recommend once-a-day brushing for optimum health. If you’re time-strapped or your dog is resistant, remember, the more often you brush, the better.


• Starting early is always best, as puppies can get used to brushing more easily. But even old dogs can learn new dental tricks. Start by letting your pooch taste pet toothpaste from your finger on several occasions. Then put some on their pet toothbrush to get them used to the texture.


A paste with a food flavor should make the process easier. For example, SENTRY Petrodex Veterinary Strength Poultry Fresh Mint Twin Power Toothpaste has enough poultry flavor to encourage dogs to lick it up and a mint scent to freshen breath.


When your pet is ready, (some dogs take days, others take weeks) gently rub your fingers on their gums and lips to get them used to the sensation.


• When you’re finally ready to start brushing, keep it safe, gentle and effective with a brush especially designed for dogs’ needs. One example is the SENTRY Petrodex Dual Ended 360 Brush. It has a soft bristle 360-degree head on one end and a traditional head on the other, as well as a plaque scraper.


Opt for an ergonomic handle to make it easier to keep a firm grip while brushing. If your dog doesn’t take to the regular pet toothbrush, consider a finger toothbrush, which is softer.


• Chewing is great for dogs, helping to improve dental health by scraping away existing plaque and tartar. Give pets a better alternative than your slippers, such as a dental chew that activates the body’s natural defense system, killing plaque-forming bacteria.


• For dogs with bad breath, consider a breath spray that fights odors and controls tartar. Opt for something easy-to-use that has a veterinary-strength potency.

Photo via Dog Cental

You can brush up on more pet dental health tips and tricks at www.SentryPetCare.com.

“Want your dog to live a longer happier life? The answer is simple. Keep pets’ teeth and gums in tip top shape, stresses Dr. Van Horn.



Source: The Snap Online

Florida at bottom in providing dental care for poor children, Pew report finds

More than three-fourths of Florida's children covered by Medicaid do not get regular dental care — the worst rate of any state, according to a report released today by the Pew Children's Dental Campaign.

The lack of care affected 1.5 million children across the state in 2011, the period analyzed by the Pew researchers. Nationally, they said, tens of millions of low-income children went without dental care that year.

Children whose families had private health insurance were 30 percent more likely to receive dental care than their Medicaid counterparts, the researchers found, even though low-income children — including those on Medicaid — are almost twice as likely as their wealthier peers to develop cavities.

"The Florida numbers are horrible, and they don't appear to be getting any better," said Frank Catalanotto, professor and chairman of the Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Florida College of Dentistry. "The good news to me is that I think some of the people in state are really taking this seriously."

For years, Florida has ranked at or near the bottom in providing dental care to its poorest residents, especially children, a problem that has been linked to increased emergency-room expenses, pain, absence from school and poor grades.

Catalanotto and others contend the main problem is that only 15 percent of Florida dentists accept Medicaid patients — chiefly because of the state's exceptionally low Medicaid reimbursement rates. Some dentists complain they would actually lose money by treating Medicaid patients.

The other issue, though, is the labyrinth of red tape awaiting dentists who serve Medicaid patients, Catalanotto said. "It takes a long time, there are a lot of forms to fill out, and then you wait and wait and wait."

Because Florida now uses managed-care providers for Medicaid patients, the process includes an additional layer of application and certification. It can take more than six months before dentists can accept Medicaid patients, Catalanotto said.

Members of the Florida Oral Health Workforce Group have been working with state Medicaid administrators to make the process easier for providers. And one benefit of the managed-care providers, Catalanotto said, is that the Affordable Care Act requires them to do public-education campaigns to enroll more patients. Some parents may not realize the importance of early dental care for their children, he said, or that they can sometimes find such care at federally funded health centers in their communities.

The report lauded the growing number of dentists who offer one-day or ongoing charitable care, but researchers said that trend alone would not be enough to solve the problem.

Instead, they suggest not only beefing up Medicaid reimbursement rates and streamlining paperwork, but also employing lower-paid dental-care practitioners — such as hygienists with special training — to do some of the more routine treatment now provided by dentists.


Source: Orlando Sentinel

Is Mouthwash Really Beneficial To Oral Health

Many people use mouthwash as an integral part of their oral hygiene regime – sold on the marketed concept that the minty concoction can effectively kill germs and slake halitosis, perhaps even more so than brushing the way some ads read.

Mouthwash is marketed as a highly effective product for warding off harmful bacteria responsible for gum disease and decay. But does the use of mouthwash benefit overall oral hygiene the way it’s advertised to?

Image Via Telegraph.co.uk

Five Dental Tips for Teenagers from Family Tree Dental Group

 Teenagers care about their appearance. One of the first things their friends and classmates will notice about them is their smile. Teens lead active lives, but following a few simple rules will help them ensure that they continue to smile bright both during school and in the years ahead. Dr. Chad Denman, an Austin dentist / Round Rock dentist at Family Tree Dental Group, has put together a list of simple but important tips for teens to follow for a happy and healthy smile:

1. Skip sodas. Not only do sugar-laden soft drinks increase the risk of becoming overweight and developing type 2 diabetes, they also can cause cavities and destroy the enamel that protects teeth. Once enamel is gone, there’s no replacing it, so teens are cautioned to choose their beverages wisely. Sports drinks and juices are typically just as bad for the teeth. Water and milk are the dentist-recommended drink choices, but if a teen can’t resist the soda, follow it up immediately by rinsing the mouth with water.

2. Avoid tongue piercings. It’s no secret that teenagers like to experiment and push boundaries, which may include body piercings. One type of piercing that can do major damage to the teeth is, of course, tongue piercings. These piercings are notorious for causing simple cosmetic damage like chipped teeth, but can also lead to major problems like fractures that may require a root canal to repair.

3. Protect one’s assets. A person’s smile is one of their most valuable assets and should be protected when playing contact sports. Oral injuries are frequent among teens that play sports like football, soccer, basketball, hockey, and many more. While mouth guards can be purchased at a store, the best protection comes from a custom-fit guard created by the family dentist.

4. No smoking. Many teens go through a phase where they may want to try smoking tobacco. Long-term effects of smoking include increased risk for several types of cancer, strokes, lung disease and coronary heart disease. Immediate effects, however, include tooth and gum staining, tartar build-up and bad breath – that’s not cute on anyone.

5. Care for dental braces. Many teens wear dental braces at some point, whether the traditional variety or an Invisalign-type product. It’s extremely important that teenagers take particular care of their teeth while wearing braces, as food particles are more likely to get stuck in braces, which can lead to serious cavity problems. Keep a travel toothbrush and floss handy at all times for regular use and emergencies.



Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1263594#ixzz2WqUXPf28

Bad Teeth, Broken Dreams: Lack of Dental Care Keeps Many Out of Jobs

With five broken teeth, three cavities and a painful gum abscess spreading to her sinuses, Patty Kennedy knew she had to get in line early for a free dental clinic held last month in San Jose, Calif.

The 53-year-old woman from Modesto, nearly 100 miles away, was counting on the care to repair not only her smile and her worsening health, but also her chances of getting a job.

"I'd love to work at a grocery store as a cashier. I'd even go for bagger," said Kennedy, who camped out overnight at the CDA Cares clinic sponsored by the California Dental Association Foundation. "At this point, I'd do whatever."

But like many of the more than 2,200 people who showed up for the 5:30 a.m. clinic on May 18 and 19, Kennedy knew that bad teeth translate into poor employment prospects, even for the best workers.

"I really don't smile a lot," said Kennedy, whose husband, Lucas, also 53, lost his job five years ago when California's construction economy tanked. "I know that when you have a job, you want to have a pleasant attitude and you've got to smile and be friendly."

Lack of access to dental care is a particular problem in California, where budget woes virtually eliminated access to the state's Denti-Cal program in 2009, leaving an estimated 3 million poor, disabled and elderly people without oral health services. In 2012, CDA events provided about $2.8 million in free care to nearly 4,000 people.

The rich-poor divide plagues Chinese growth, but some find a way to climb out of poverty by unleashing their entrepreneurial spirit. Eunice Yoon reports.

But barriers to dental services are a problem nationwide, with more than 47 million people in the U.S. living in places with difficult access to care, according to the Federal Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA. Low-income adults are almost twice as likely as those with higher incomes to have had no dental care in the previous year, according to a 2008 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Provisions of the Affordable Care Act, which take effect in 2014, guarantee dental care for children, but not for adults. And without such care, adults already struggling to get by find that obvious dental problems—teeth that are missing, discolored, broken or badly crooked—make their situation even harder, said Susan Hyde, a dentist and population scientist at the University of California at San Francisco.

In America, most people—including employers—make instant judgments based on appearance, including someone's smile and teeth.

"If you want to portray someone as being wicked, they have missing front teeth. If they're ignorant, they have buck teeth," Hyde said. "Even from a very early age, we associate how one presents their oral health with all kinds of biases that reflect some of the social biases that we have."

Those views can prevent potential employers from recognizing potential assets, said Lindsey Robinson, a dentist and current president of the California Dental Association.

"If they have a job that requires them to interact socially with the public, it's almost impossible for them to get that job," she said. "Customer service jobs, good entry-level jobs, they're not available to people who lack the basic ability to smile, to function, to chew properly."

The problem is partly based on appearance, but also on the health effects of poor dental care, which have been linked to heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Acute dental conditions cost nearly two days of work per year per 100 people in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds. Even employed adults lose more than 164 million hours of work because of oral health problems or dental visits.

"When you're sick and you don't feel good, you can't do anything," said Kennedy, who had suffered with no care for five years. "Your appearance and your countenance suffer."

The problem is also embarrassing, she added.

That makes anyone less likely to have the energy to job-hunt—and to be less likely to land the position, Robinson said. But research also shows that when people are offered dental care, their chances of employment go up.

Hyde co-authored a 2006 study in which researchers offered interventions to nearly 400 welfare recipients with severe dental problems. Thirty percent had horribly receding gums, 85 percent were missing one or more teeth, 84 percent had one or more teeth decaying in their mouths, Hyde recalled. "One man told me, 'I get my wife to chew my food for me first.' "

But when they were offered dental services, the patients flourished, she said. Those who completed their dental treatment were twice as likely to get jobs or move off welfare than those who didn't finish treatment, the study showed.

That is the goal behind programs like CDA Cares, said Robinson. The foundation sponsors one or two events in different parts of the state each year.

"They go from broken-down, infected teeth or no teeth at all to feeling great about themselves again," she said.

Patty Kennedy had her five broken back teeth pulled, X-rays taken and a dose of antibiotics that cleared up her abscessed gum and infected sinuses.

"I felt like I was treated with such dignity and respect and kindness and courtesy," she said.

Now that she feels better both emotionally and physically, she may be up to the task of job-hunting, Kennedy said. She only hopes that others in her position can get help, too.

"There were a lot of people who absolutely didn't have any teeth," she said. "They needed some serious work done."

SOURCE: THE DAILY BEAST

Baby's teeth: What you should know

Orlando (CNN) -- With so many diapers to change and so little sleep, your infant's dental health may not be top of mind -- even after those first baby teeth make an appearance.

But the eruption of that first tooth, between the ages of 3 and 9 months, should be a signal to parents to schedule a child's first dental appointment -- and one should be scheduled no later than age 1, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

"We want (parents) to be aware that a newborn's teeth are already developing," says Dr. Art Nowak, one expert attending the AAPD conference in Orlando last week. "Parents can't see them, but they are there under the gums."

But there are compelling reasons for early checkups. Tooth decay is a leading chronic childhood disease -- more common than asthma -- and it's almost entirely preventable, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"I remind parents that this is a very important time," says Dr. Beverly Largent, a pediatric dentist in Paducah, Kentucky. "This baby is 1 year old or younger. They have new teeth. You are starting from the very beginning. And you have all the power in the world to keep your child from ever having a cavity."

During the first visit, pediatric dentists evaluate the child and ward off risks. Before a baby even arrives, pediatric dentists encourage expectant parents to get their own teeth checked. In addition, pediatricians and other health care providers are advised to tell parents the importance of wiping a newborn's mouth clean after each feeding -- something that may not occur to new moms.

Since acid-producting bacteria, called streptococcus mutans, is contagious, pediatric dentists caution parents against blowing on a baby's food or cleaning a pacifier with saliva.

"As soon as the tooth erupts, bacteria start developing plaque," Nowak says. "Whether it's from the mother's milk or formula, activity starts inside that plaque. In no time at all, that activity creates acid and that starts the whole disease process. At 5, 6, 7 months, things are starting to happen."

If you notice a white spot or discoloration on a baby tooth, "that means there could be a problem developing," says Dr. Warren Brill, newly elected AAPD president, and the child should see a dentist right away.

Left untreated, what's termed "early dental caries" -- the first stage of tooth decay -- can destroy tiny teeth and lead to infection, pain, and lifelong consequences. It can even be fatal in rare cases. Several children in recent years have died from abscesses or from surgical sedation to repair decayed teeth, dentists say.

The reality is, "baby teeth" need to stay put well beyond infancy and the toddler years. "In fact, some of those baby teeth are still in place when the child goes to middle school," says Largent. "If not properly cared for, those teeth can cause a lot of trauma. They are important to help your child look good, eat well and speak well."

Some dental health tips for parents:

Establish a routine: Lifting the child's lip, wiping the mouth and inspecting the gums and teeth should be done regularly, dentists say.

"That gives the baby a lot of things -- it gives them the expectation and familiarity of the parent checking inside their mouth," Largent says. "And it gives them the experience of feeling clean."

Begin brushing with the first tooth: And begin flossing daily as teeth line up, doctors say. The child will likely fuss or cry, but don't let that deter you.

"You have to brush their teeth for them," says Dr. Kevin Donly, who practices in San Antonio. "Kids don't have the manual dexterity until they're between 5 and 7 years old. I think a lot of parents really don't realize that. Even when your child thinks they can brush their own teeth, your job is to go back and re-brush for them."

Find a dental home: Having a pediatric dentist means parents know where to go and who to call in an emergency.

"By the time (children) are 12 to 14 months, they're mobile. They are going to fall -- and sometimes they fall forward," says Nowak. "With today's technology, we can tell parents, 'Send me a picture from your smartphone.' If there's something we need to do, we'll have them come in."

Avoid sugary drinks and use water to transition from bottle to cup: "Parents roll their eyes at me when I say, 'You can't put your child to bed with juice,' " Largent says. "Sometimes, when children come in and their mouths are ravaged, I go so far as to say to the parent, 'This has to stop, tonight.' "

Remember that preventative care pays: Costs are 40% lower in the first five years for children who have their first dental visit before age 1, the AAPD estimates.

Pediatric dentists aim to make that first exam as standard as any other medical checkup during the first year of life.

"Those cavity-free visits are marvelous. They're great for parents, there's no stress involved. They're great for kids, there's no stress involved. And, they are great for me because then I'm the best dentist in the world," says Largent.

"When I see a new mom, I want to give her some basic tools: I want her to know that she has to brush his teeth every day. I want her to know she's not being a bad mom if he cries while she's brushing his teeth. My goal is that her child will never have tooth decay."


Source: CNN

Survey indicates geography impacts pet longevity

There's no U.S. Centers for Disease Control for Pets. Until recently, veterinarians greatly practiced in a medical bubble, only knowing what they were seeing in their own clinics. With a database of more than 800 hospitals in 43 states, Banfield the Pet Hospital, is trying to change that. The company has been keeping tabs for several years on medical conditions and other information about pets.


Here's some of what Banfield discovered in its latest survey of pets, conducted in 2012:

•     Steve Dale
•     Steve Dale
•     Bio | Recent columns

"We've known all along that cats live longer than dogs, and small dogs live longer than larger dogs," says Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, medical director at Banfield, based in Portland, Ore. "However, we never knew about how geography might impact longevity."

Overall, our dogs are living longer. The average lifespan in 2012 was 11 years, up about four percent since 2002. Cats are also living longer, for an average of 12 years, that's up 10 percent since 2002.

The 5 U.S. states where cats have the longest life expectancy:

1. Montana

2. Colorado

3. Rhode Island

4. Illinois

5. Nebraska

The 5 states where dogs enjoy the longest lives:

1. South Dakota

2. Montana,

3. Oregon

4. New Mexico

5. Colorado

Interestingly, only Montana and Colorado appear on both those lists.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, here are the top five states with the longest life expectancies for people 1999 to 2001):

1. Hawaii

2. Minnesota

3. North Dakota

4. Connecticut

5. Utah

Banfield reports that these are the 5 states where cats have the shortest life spans:

1. Delaware

2. Ohio

3. Louisiana

4. Kentucky

5. Mississippi

Here are the 5 states where dogs have the shortest life expectancies:

1. Mississippi

2. Alabama

3. Louisiana

4. Delaware

5. Massachusetts

Apparently, Delaware, Louisiana and Mississippi aren't states where pets thrive, at least to their full potential.

According to U.S. Census Bureau and Centers for Disease Control data, here the 5 states with the shortest life spans for people (1999-2001):

1. Kentucky

2. South Carolina

3. Alabama

4. Louisiana

5. Mississippi

While surprisingly, no states correlate where people and pets enjoy the longest life spans, Louisiana and Mississippi are on the list for cats, dogs and people with the shortest life expectancies.

So should people escape some states with their pets and move to others where their animals may live longer?

"No, I hope not," says Klausner. "We don't know the significance of the data. We do know there are some steps individual pet owners can make to increase life spans. As more people spay/neuter their pets, their life spans increase. No doubt, keeping more cats indoors also plays a role. And certainly seeing veterinarians twice a year is likely to increase life span."

As veterinary visits decline, as they have been in recent years, Klausner is concerned that this trend of pets living longer could potentially be reversed. Or perhaps pets would even be living longer than they currently do if more of them received twice-annual preventive care exams.

according to the Banfield report, the most common diagnoses for dogs were:

Dental tartar

Otitis externa (ear infection)

Overweight

Dermatitits (skin infection)

Fleas

In cats, the most common diagnoses included:

Dental calculus

Overweight

Fleas

Gingivitis

Otitis externa (ear infection)

Overweight pets are an epidemic. According to the Banfield report, in the past five years, the prevalence of significant excess body weight has increased 37 percent in dogs, and 90 percent in cats. This doesn't come without consequences, contributing greatly to the 38 percent rise in arthritis in dogs and 67 increase in cats over the past five years. Diabetes in cats and dogs has about doubled over the past five years.

"Weight gain, especially in cats, happens gradually and may be difficult for owners to know has happened," adds Klausner. "Simply weighing the pet twice a year is important."

The Banfield survey also tallied the most common pet names. For cats, they are:

• Kitty
• Bella
• Tiger
• Max
• Smokey

The most popular dog names include:

• Bella
• Max
• Buddy
• Daisy
• Coco

Source: LA Times

8 Tips to Help Kids Overcome Fear of Dentists

 Taking kids to the dentist is necessary to keep their teeth healthy and promote excellent oral hygiene habits. But from a child's point of view, a trip to the dentist can be a scary event -- lying on a chair in an unfamiliar room filled with unfamiliar noises and objects, all while a stranger is poking cold, metallic, and unusual instruments in his mouth. Plus, as your child's teeth continue to fall out and grow, he may take at least 10 trips to the dentist before starting kindergarten. To help ease future visits for your child (and for the dentist!), follow these steps so that he will feel comfortable and more relaxed.

Dentist: Cleaning your teeth right

It is recommended that everyone should have a dental checkup every six months but at the very least you should endeavour to visit your dentist for a checkup once a year.

One of the routine procedures done on your visit is a general cleanup. A general cleanup will involve removal of stains, soft food debris and debris that has hardened over time. There are generally two types of teeth stains.

The majority are external stains that can easily be cleaned off by the dentist. Then there are other stains that are internal and would take more complex whitening procedures to rectify. Some of the common external stains are tobacco stains, tea stains and those stains caused by regularly consuming drinks with artificial colouring in them.

There are several causes of bleeding gums and one of them is when calculus (hardened food debris) forms around the neck of the teeth and under the gum. The gum will get irritated and become inflamed, leading to bleeding gums whenever you brush or eat. This may or may not involve pain, but the general rule is that if you notice your gums are bleeding, then you know you are due a cleanup.

Of course cleaning of your teeth should not be left entirely to your dentist.  You need to brush your teeth ideally every after a meal, but the very least you must make sure you brush before you go to bed. When brushing, don’t rush the process.

Make sure you brush all the surfaces of the teeth and the tongue. This will take about three to five minutes and after you have rinsed with clean water, use your tongue to check the smoothness of the teeth surfaces, and then decide whether or not you need to apply some more toothpaste and brush again.

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is: “What toothpaste do you recommend?”

With the numerous toothpaste brands that have flooded the market, you can understand the dilemma people will be faced with trying to look beyond the hype and pick a good one.

My advice has always been to encourage my patients to pick toothpaste that is ‘kind’ in their mouths. This is toothpaste that will allow you to keep the foam in your mouth for up to five minutes without having the urge to spit and rinse because you have a ‘burning sensation’ in your mouth.

Of course this may mean you try out a couple of them until you zero down on what works for you. Personal dental care comes down to how thoroughly and regularly you clean your teeth and not necessarily how good the product is.



Source: Observer

Dentist: Cleaning your teeth right

It is recommended that everyone should have a dental checkup every six months but at the very least you should endeavour to visit your dentist for a checkup once a year.

One of the routine procedures done on your visit is a general cleanup. A general cleanup will involve removal of stains, soft food debris and debris that has hardened over time. There are generally two types of teeth stains.

The majority are external stains that can easily be cleaned off by the dentist. Then there are other stains that are internal and would take more complex whitening procedures to rectify. Some of the common external stains are tobacco stains, tea stains and those stains caused by regularly consuming drinks with artificial colouring in them.

There are several causes of bleeding gums and one of them is when calculus (hardened food debris) forms around the neck of the teeth and under the gum. The gum will get irritated and become inflamed, leading to bleeding gums whenever you brush or eat. This may or may not involve pain, but the general rule is that if you notice your gums are bleeding, then you know you are due a cleanup.

Of course cleaning of your teeth should not be left entirely to your dentist.  You need to brush your teeth ideally every after a meal, but the very least you must make sure you brush before you go to bed. When brushing, don’t rush the process.

Make sure you brush all the surfaces of the teeth and the tongue. This will take about three to five minutes and after you have rinsed with clean water, use your tongue to check the smoothness of the teeth surfaces, and then decide whether or not you need to apply some more toothpaste and brush again.

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is: “What toothpaste do you recommend?”

With the numerous toothpaste brands that have flooded the market, you can understand the dilemma people will be faced with trying to look beyond the hype and pick a good one.

My advice has always been to encourage my patients to pick toothpaste that is ‘kind’ in their mouths. This is toothpaste that will allow you to keep the foam in your mouth for up to five minutes without having the urge to spit and rinse because you have a ‘burning sensation’ in your mouth.

Of course this may mean you try out a couple of them until you zero down on what works for you. Personal dental care comes down to how thoroughly and regularly you clean your teeth and not necessarily how good the product is.

Source: The Observer

Diet soda habit as bad for teeth as meth addiction

Heavy consumption of diet soda can damage teeth as badly as methamphetamine or crack cocaine, a new study contends.

"You look at it side-to-side with 'meth mouth' or 'coke mouth,' it is startling to see the intensity and extent of damage more or less the same," said Dr. Mohamed Bassiouny, a professor of restorative dentistry at the Temple University School of Dentistry in Philadelphia.

Methamphetamine, crack cocaine and soda -- sweetened or not -- are all highly acidic and can cause similar dental problems, Bassiouny said in a study published recently in the journal General Dentistry.

The acid in soda is in the form of citric acid and phosphoric acid, Bassiouny said. Without good dental hygiene, constant exposure can cause erosion and significant oral damage, he said.

In his study, he found that a woman in her 30s who drank 2 liters of diet soda daily for three to five years experienced tooth rot and decay remarkably similar to that suffered by a 29-year-old methamphetamine addict and a 51-year-old habitual crack cocaine user.

The younger man had used methamphetamine for three years, and often downed two or three cans of regular soda a day because the drugs made his mouth so dry. The older man reported an 18-year history of crack abuse.

The woman said concerns about weight gain led her to choose diet soda over regular, and admitted that she had not seen a dentist in many years, according to the study. She also associated sweetened beverages with a higher risk of tooth decay.

Her teeth were soft and discolored, with many destroyed by erosion. She usually sipped the beverage directly from a can or a bottle, and held the soda in her mouth before swallowing, Bassiouny said.

"She also mentioned that when doing so, she habitually leaned on her left side against the arm of the sofa while watching television," he said. The "massive" damage to the left side of her mouth bore this out and resulted in what is called a collapsed bite.

"None of the teeth affected by erosion were salvageable," Bassiouny said. The woman had to have all of her teeth removed and replaced with dentures.

Methamphetamine and crack are known to ravage the mouths of users, and the two drug abusers needed all of their teeth extracted.

Besides exposing teeth to damaging acid, these illegal drugs reduce the amount of saliva in the mouth, providing less opportunity for the acids to wash away. The drugs also cause systemic health problems that affect dental hygiene. Previous studies have linked "meth mouth" with rampant decay.

A group representing soft drink manufacturers said this case study should not be seen as an indictment of diet sodas generally.

"The woman referenced in this article did not receive dental health services for more than 20 years -- two-thirds of her life," the American Beverage Association said in a statement. "To single out diet soda consumption as the unique factor in her tooth decay and erosion -- and to compare it to that from illicit drug use -- is irresponsible.

"The body of available science does not support that beverages are a unique factor in causing tooth decay or erosion," the group said. "However, we do know that brushing and flossing our teeth, along with making regular visits to the dentist, play a very important role in preventing them."

Dr. Eugene Antenucci, spokesman for the Academy of General Dentistry, said he was not surprised by Bassiouny's findings.

"From my experience, the damage that happens to people's mouths from cocaine or methamphetamine are degrees greater than what I see from soda, but I see a lot of damage from soda," said Antenucci, a dentist in Huntington, N.Y.

Damage from excessive soda consumption can cause "very deep brown stains, where it's actually eroded into the tooth, and the teeth are soft and leathery," he said.

Prevention is the best cure, Bassiouny said. How often you drink soda, how much you drink and how long it's in your mouth all are important factors. "You can help prevent it from happening by reducing any of those," he said.

Sugar-free soda is no better than regular soda when it comes to dental decay, Bassiouny added. "Both of them have the same drastic effect if they are consumed in the same frequency, the same amount and the same duration," he said.

Antenucci said people need to keep in mind that they are drinking something that is highly acidic when they pick up a soda.

"Knowing that, you limit it and understand that you need to clean your mouth afterward," he said. "Even simple water will wash away the acidity. And everyone should brush twice a day, if not more often."

Should people give up drinking soda? "You'd be better off if you didn't drink the soda," Antenucci said, "but in my mind there's not a reason for that extreme."



Source: 8News Now