Second-Hand Smoke Increases Risk of Periodontitis

It has been known that smoking increases the odds of developing periodontitis (gum disease), but new studies are indicating that exposure to second-hand smoke increases your risks of developing the disease by 62%.

Periodontitis is caused by a buildup of plaque and bacteria in the space between your gums and tooth surfaces. The bacteria thrives in the plaque, and feasts on the bone, gum tissue, and connective tissue of your teeth. Left untreated, it can cause bone loss, infection, and tooth loss. It can also affect other parts of your body, including increased risk of strokes, and body-wide inflammation. Diseases such as diabetes can increase these risks as well.

But if you have a buildup of plaque, all hope is not lost. Your friendly Valencia dentist can help reverse the damage. Through scaling and debridement, they can clean up that plaque lodged below the gum line. They can also remove plaque buildup from the roots of your teeth using special tools and (mostlikely) local anesthetic. They can also repair any previous restorative work that looks like it may be trapping plaque and increasing risks of future damage.

Once the cleaning is done, your friendly Valencia dentist will reevaluate your gums, and most likely schedule you for a follow up visit within 3 months to ensure that no more bacteria is growing. If there is a recurrence, they will take care of it and teach you some proper cleaning techniques.
As always, if you have any questions about
periodontitis and second-hand smoke, feel free to ask your friendly Valencia dentist.

Go Dental - Your favorite Dentist in Valencia.

Cutting Down on Sugar Leads to a Healthier Life

The World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement that reducing the intake of “free sugars” to less than 10% of your energy income will lead to a healthier life, reducing the risks of being overweight, obesity, and most importantly, tooth decay.

In a typical 2,000 calorie diet, restricting free sugars to 10% or less would mean cutting back sugar to under 50 grams a day. Sugar occurs naturally in syrups, fruit juices, and honey, but it is added to many everyday foods, including food that isn't typically thought to be sweet. Ketchup, for example – a traditionally non-sweet food – can house up to 4g of sugar mixed inside it. Comparatively, a soda can contain up to 10 times more – 40g.

A “free sugar”, as reported by the WHO, is a sugar that is not naturally occurring in milk, fresh fruits, or fresh veggies. The WHO cannot find any adverse effects of these natural sugars being consumed – only the added “free sugars”.

Free sugar intake varies depending on region, as well. A typical resident of Hungary or Norway typically takes in 7-8% of their daily energy intake as free sugar.  In Portugal, it is almost 25%. And within those countries, rural areas take in less free sugars than populated urban areas.

Children with free sugar intake above 10% have a much higher risk of developing obesity and tooth decay. The biggest culprit of free sugars in children? Sugary drinks, including sodas and sports drinks.

If you have any further questions about sugar’s role in tooth decay, be sure to ask your friendly Valencia dentist today.

Glass Fillings Just Around the Corner

Tooth decay is the largest oral health problem in the world, and fillings are a standard option to repair damage. But fillings have had their weaknesses – up until now. Dentists are teaming up with physicists to develop a new material for fillings.

Traditionally, fillings were done with silver amalgam filling, which was strong and durable. However, it was gray in hue, stained teeth, and contained mercury. While it is still used in some parts of the world today, many dentists have moved towards composite fillings, which requires more frequent replacing than amalgam due to the way they are applied.

But scientists are working on a new filling, a glass ionomer, which will adhere to the surface of the tooth and slowly release fluoride into the mouth, preventing further tooth decay. As of now, the glass ionomer is strong, but researchers are studying the micro-structures of the material to make it even stronger.

The glass ionomer also boasts another beneficial property – it can be hand mixed, and doesn't need any special equipment to make it set on the teeth. This will help low-income areas and remote countries without electricity to provide much needed basic dental care.

Together, the dentists and physicists are perfecting the mixture. It currently contains too many liquid-filled pores when set which can compromise the structure of the filling. The researchers are experimenting with different minerals and ratios to see about reducing the pores and increasing the strength.

Glass ionomer fillings are the way of the future. If you have any questions about the benefits of each type of filling, or about the status on the glass ionomer fillings, be sure Valencia dentist today.
to ask your friendly