Dry Mouth – Xerostomia – and its Effects on the Oral Environment

Dry Mouth and its Effects on the Oral Environment

Matthew Norman, DDS and Michelle Phillips, RDH

 

Xerostomia is the dental term for dry mouth.  One out of every four adults suffers from some form of dry mouth.  Several factors can contribute to the presence of dry mouth such as: diabetes, anxiety, alcohol consumption, trauma to a salivary gland/duct, radiation/chemotherapy treatment for cancer, and medications.  Medications are the most common cause of dry mouth—both prescription and over-the-counter.  The more medications that a person is taking, the higher the risk that individual is to have diminished salivary flow and a dry mouth.

 

Saliva performs many functions.  Not only does saliva help to moisten the tissues in your mouth, but it also helps keep your mouth and teeth healthy and clean.  There are certain enzymes present in your saliva that help to digest food and plaque that adhere to your teeth after eating. If the salivary flow in your mouth is diminished, plaque and food sticks to your teeth more resiliently which increases the chance of having tooth decay or cavities.  Dry mouth can also lead to mouth infections, bad breath and periodontal (gum) disease.  Someone suffering from dry mouth may have gum tissue that appears red, a “cracked-looking” or red tongue.  The tongue can even appear shiny from the dryness.  Dry mouth has also been linked to an overall burning sensation in a person’s mouth.

 

Currently, there is no treatment available to directly increase someone’s salivary flow or the amount of saliva one produces, but salivary

substitutes do exist.  One “over-the-counter” option available is a salivary substitute called Biotene.  Biotene comes in several forms—a mouthwash, toothpaste, moisturizing gels and even a chewing gum.  The Biotene products help to lubricate and protect your mouth just as your own saliva would.  Incorporating these salivary substitutes into your daily oral hygiene regime can improve your oral health and comfort while decreasing the risk of tooth decay caused by diminished salivary flow.

 

 

Another option for defense from the effects of xerostomia is fluoride.  Fluoride helps strengthen the outer layer of the tooth to prevent tooth decay.  As mentioned earlier, plaque and food can more easily stick to teeth in a dry mouth, attacking the minerals in the enamel to cause cavities.  Fluoride mouthrinses, such as ACT, helps to counteract this process and strengthen the teeth.

 

Whether you have a dry mouth or not, brushing twice a day with a fluoridated toothpaste, flossing once a day and visiting your Dentist on a regular basis (at least twice a year), is your best defense against tooth decay and gum disease! The team of dental care professionals at Norman Dental in Greensboro NC can be reached at 336-282-2120, located at 2511 Oakcrest Avenue, Greensboro NC 27408. Here is a link to their website: http://www.norman-dental.com/team.html

 

Good Oral Hygiene with Dexterity Difficulties

Good Oral Hygiene with Dexterity Difficulties

Michelle Phillips, RDH

 

With one who has dexterity difficulties such as arthritis, there are several oral hygiene aids that can help.  There are things such as electric toothbrushes and flossers out on the market now to aid in good oral hygiene.

 

Electric toothbrushes come in an array of varieties, with the basic function all the way up to those with all the bells and whistles.  They can cost from less than $10, and even go up to over $100.  Electric toothbrushes help those with a lesser ability to grasp small things like a manual toothbrush.  Most come with a substantially larger handle compared to the manual brush.  Another good feature of the electric brush is that the head will either oscillate or rotate, so all you have to do is literally hold the brush on your teeth and move it from tooth to tooth.  Other potential features of electric brushes could include a two-minute timer and pressure sensors.  Two minutes is the optimal time to brush.  Some electric toothbrushes will give some sort of pulsation when two minutes have lapsed, so that the optimal brushing time is achieved.  The pressure sensor is good for those that may have sensitivity due to gum recession.  This indicator will usually turn the brush off momentarily to let you know that you’re pressing too hard.

 

 

Flossers are aids to help one floss without having to wrap the floss around your fingers.  There are disposable flossers and those that tend to be larger that you have to insert floss into.  An arthritic patient is a great candidate for these flossers, because you don’t have to hold the floss on your fingers and manipulate it in the mouth, you simply hold the handle instead.

 

 

 

 

Another option for those unable to grasp small things like the handle of a manual toothbrush is to cut a small hole in a tennis ball and insert the

handle of the toothbrush.  With this, it’s much easier to grasp the tennis ball than the toothbrush handle.

 

 

 

 

 

One last alternative is to place a rubber band around the handle of the toothbrush, around the back of the hand, then back on the toothbrush handle.  This way, no grasping is required!

Michelle Phillips RDH is a Registered Dental Hygienist at Norman Dental in Greensboro NC, located at 2511 Oakcrest Avenue, Greensboro NC 27408. Telephone number 336-282-2120. http://www.norman-dental.com/team.html

Optimal Oral Health for Optimal Overall Health

 

Optimal Oral Health for Optimal Overall Health 

Matthew Norman, DDS and Michelle Phillips, RDH

Many correlations exist between periodontal (gum) disease and systemic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, respiratory diseases, and even pregnancy.  The mouth is the gateway to the rest of the body, and it is becoming more and more evident that an infection in your mouth can affect the rest of your body.

Periodontal disease is infection of the gums.  In a healthy mouth, gums are pink, firm and do not bleed when brushed and flossed.  It is very important to brush your teeth twice a day, floss once a day, and to visit your dentist regularly.  At a routine hygiene appointment, the dentist and dental hygienist review your medical history and evaluate your gums to screen for all forms of periodontal disease and gingivitis.  Gingivitis is the lowest classification of periodontal disease, meaning inflammation of the gums.   Remember, healthy gums don’t bleed!

Heart disease is probably the most commonly linked systemic disease to periodontal disease.  Bacteria are present in bodies of all living creatures.  Some bacteria are not harmful and actually help keep the body healthy, but some bacteria are harmful to your body.  This same situation of helpful/harmful bacteria exists in your mouth.  Any bacteria (good or bad) present in your mouth can be transmitted into your bloodstream, especially when the gums are bleeding due to unmanaged periodontal disease or gingivitis.  Once in your bloodstream, bacteria can reach all other areas of your body, including your heart.  When bacteria enter the bloodstream, it attaches itself to the fatty plaques in your heart vessel arteries (coronary arteries) and contributes to the formation of clots.  One with coronary artery disease has thickened walls of the coronary arteries from the buildup of plaques and the blood clots can obstruct blood flow.  This leads to a lack of oxygen needed for the heart to properly function, which can lead to a stroke and even a heart attack.  Those with periodontal disease are more likely to suffer from coronary artery disease than those without periodontal disease.  Also, unmanaged periodontal disease can worsen a preexisting heart condition.

Diabetes is a chronic systemic illness which is becoming more and more prevalent in the United States.  The American Diabetes Associated estimated in 2011 that nearly 26 million people (8% of the total US population) have diabetes and this number continues to grow rapidly.  A person with diabetes is more likely to have periodontal disease than a non-diabetic, especially one who doesn’t have their diabetes under control.   The diabetic patient is more likely to develop infections and because their wound-healing ability is impaired, oral infection is more difficult to treat.  The relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease has also been found to be two-directional, meaning that the worsening of one condition can cause the other to worsen.  Therefore a diabetic patient, who also suffers from periodontal disease which is unmanaged, is more likely to lose control of their diabetes and suffer from diabetic complications.

Respiratory diseases are also directly linked to periodontal disease.  The bacteria in your mouth can be drawn into your lungs to cause respiratory diseases like pneumonia.  When you inhale, the bacteria in your mouth can settle into your lower respiratory tract and cause infection.  Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) have a higher risk of experiencing complications, when unmanaged periodontal disease is also present.

Many people are unaware that a relationship exists between periodontal disease and pregnancy.  When a woman is pregnant, it is common for her to develop a condition called Pregnancy Gingivitis.  During pregnancy, a woman experiences changes in her normal hormone levels.  These changes can cause the gum tissue to become much more sensitive food and plaque levels in the mouth, which lead to inflammation and bleeding in the gums.  The hormonal changes can even make it easier for the bad bacteria that we discussed earlier to grow.   Some bacteria have even been found to cause complications with pregnancy, such as pre-term births.  It is very important for the pregnant patient to see their dentist and dental hygienist for routine hygiene visits to ensure their mouth is in a healthy condition.

In summary, it is crucial for everyone to visit their dentist regularly – especially those who have a systemic disease, which can increase their risk of developing periodontal disease.  Your dentist and dental hygienist should be evaluating your periodontal health on a regular basis to ensure your mouth is in a healthy condition.  Regular dental visits will allow the dental team to check for signs of gingivitis and periodontal disease, and recommend treatment if treatment is necessary.  It is also important to be aware that a cure does not currently exist for periodontal disease.  Those with periodontal disease must maintain their dental health with excellent home care and regular dental hygiene visits.  As with any other disease, early detection is critical.  The sooner the condition is discovered and treated, the better the outcome.

Norman Dental is located at 2511 Oakcrest Avenue in Greensboro NC 27408  Telephone :336-282-2120

http://www.norman-dental.com/doctorMN.html

 

 

 

 

 

The Dangers of Tobacco and Smoking

By Carissa Stella

It has been well documented that smoking presents health hazards in many different forms, but the biggest issue with smoking is the damage it can do to a person’s lungs. The tar and approx. 4,000 carcinogens present in tobacco smoke can decrease the ability of the lungs to provide oxygen to the blood. Additionally, 20 of those carcinogens have been identified as those that cause lung cancer as well as throat cancer and other diseases.

Tobacco smoke – A dangerous enemy

In addition to lung cancer, tobacco smoke is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke as well chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and high blood pressure. It has been shown that a person who smokes as many as 20 cigarettes a day is more at risk to contract tuberculosis and other infectious diseases. Continue reading “The Dangers of Tobacco and Smoking” »

Listen to Your Heart

 By Carissa Stella

The heart is an amazing muscle in that it provides nourishing blood and oxygen to the entire body and if something is wrong, it can almost seem to talk to you, provided you know what to listen for. A heart attack is a life-threatening emergency during which quick action can save a person’s life or at the very least minimize damage done to the heart muscle.

Signs of a heart attack

When a person suffers a heart attack it is due to a blood clot in one of the blood vessels leading to or from the heart and is typically announced by pain somewhere in the body. Continue reading “Listen to Your Heart” »

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