Sep2013_GET TO KNOW YOUR HEALTH

Oral Health

Firstly, an apology from last month.   As I was consoled in the pharmacy on multiple occasions about my friend Gavin and his heartburn, I feel the need to put it on the record that apparently I think I’m funnier than what I must be, and that the Gaviscon opener in the last article was meant to be a joke…  This month however, we are going to have a look a little further up the gastro-intestinal tract.  

Oral health is often one of the most overlooked areas of our bodies.  When you think about it, it is an open hole that leads directly into the centre of our bodies.  Generally, if we cut ourselves deeply enough, we sew it closed quick smart, and yet keeping our oral cavity healthy can be put off or forgotten too easily and too often.   This can be seen by the fact that only 11% of the Australian population rate their oral health as excellent.  It stands to reason then that the other 19 million or so people would be scrambling over each other to get to the dentist.  Sadly, the answer is no, only 39% of adults will actually visit the dentist this year.  This, no doubt, contributes to nearly 100% of adults having some degree of dental cavities and approximately 25% of these who currently have untreated tooth decay.  

The mouth is colonised by thousands of different bacterial species at any one time.  Just to gross everyone out, this equates to several hundred billion bacteria, and this number will increase 10 fold when the mouth is not sufficiently cleaned.  Dental decay occurs when the bacteria on our teeth form plaque, and come in contact with sugar.  As a by-product of consuming the sugar the bacteria produce acid which leads to demineralisation of the tooth.  Saliva is usually the “very damp” knight in shining armour in this situation, as saliva will replenish the tooth’s minerals between meals.  However, if sugars are eaten regularly enough it doesn’t give the saliva enough time to save the day before the process starts over again.  This eventually causes two problems, firstly the tooth’s rock hard armour (enamel) is eaten away and can cause a hole (cavity) to form allowing the bacteria to cause more damage and if left untreated an infection.  Secondly, the bacteria and dental plaque will cause gum disease, also known as gingivitis.  The bacteria cause an inflammatory response in the gum which once again if left untreated can progress to periodontal disease.  The phrase “the one your mother always warned you about” is for periodontal disease, it usually doesn’t make much noise until its later stages when it can cause bad breath, bleeding and receding gums, abscess’s and tooth loosening and loss.  Not only these, but periodontal disease results in inflammatory mediators entering the blood stream which has been shown to predispose people to diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, lung diseases and even cardiovascular disease.

There are some medical reasons for a drop in oral health, however these are few and far between.  The most common by far, is medication use.  There are over 500 medications that are known to cause xerostomia, otherwise known dry mouth, and it’s this lack of saliva that has the biggest effect on your oral health.  Some of these medications include anti-histamines, anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, sedatives and blood pressure medications among others.  To overcome this issue the easiest solution is to simply drink more water, failing that, pharmacies do stock artificial saliva or saliva substitutes which help to promote saliva production and reduce the issues associated with a dry mouth.

When it comes to oral health the biggest and most important factor can be summed up in one simple word, PREVENTION!  Back before recorded history, oral hygiene measures were already in use.  Excavations done throughout the world have found evidence of oral hygiene measures including tree twigs, bird features, animal bones and even porcupine quills.  Luckily, necessity is the mother of all invention, because the electric toothbrush is a darn sight more pleasant to brush your teeth with than a porcupine.  

Finally, here are some tips to keep your oral health high (and dental bills down):

     It might sound contradictory, but visit the dentist more regularly.  Twice yearly visits to the dentist will keep your teeth & gums healthier and will spot any issues early so they can be addressed before they develop into something more sinister (and costly!)

     Use proper brushing technique.  Plaque starts to form near the gum line, not on the top of the tooth, so this is where brushing should be aimed.  Use a systematic, circular motion to sweep the plaque away from the gums and to clean all the teeth.  Make sure to clean your tongue as well.

 

     Floss!!! Every day and every tooth.  “Only floss the teeth you want to keep” – My father.

 

     Unless you have perfect oral health due to perfect brushing technique, consider investing in an electric toothbrush.  Brushing hard enough to remove plaque but soft enough to stop receding gums is a hard task, a task that is reported to be more effective when done with an electric toothbrush.

 

     Reduce your sugar intake.  Without refined sugars the bacteria can’t produce the acid that leads to tooth decay.

 

     Fluoride.  Fluoride is an essential trace element that helps, among other things, to strengthen teeth and to slow oral decay. In children this is exceptionally important as fluoride levels during tooth development have a large effect on the longevity of those teeth during adulthood.  As an adult, fluoride does its best work when used in toothpastes and mouth washes because the teeth have already developed.  This sort of fluoride supplementation can be very beneficial, especially in areas where water fluoridation isn’t wide spread, such as our little ol’ Dayboro. 

 

For more information about fluoride supplementation, please feel free to drop into the pharmacy and have a chat, or get in contact with the expert in town, the Dayboro dentist.  As always, if you have any questions or want more advice, don’t hesitate to drop into the pharmacy or see another local health care professional.

Written by Andrew Harvey (Your local pharmacist), 

Dayboro Pharmacy  Phone 3425 1435   

Mon – Fri 8.30am – 5.30pm    

Sat 8.30am – 12.30pm