Squeaky Clean Running to the bathroom in little footy pajamas and crazy hair. Rushing just to go and brush your teeth before bed. For years we’ve all heard that we need to take care of our teeth. As a child the idea of losing all losing your teeth forever can be kind of scary. But really happens when we do not brush our teeth? What are the consequences? Are they really worth not taking those 15 minutes of our day to maintain some good oral hygiene? Tooth brushing has been around for a long time. The first record of people brushing their teeth was in 3000 B.C with ancient civilizations. They used a “chew stick” which was their version of a tooth brush. It was a thin, rounded piece of wood that had a frayed end. The first bristle toothbrush was created later in 1498 in China. It had bristles that were stiff and a made from the hairs from a pigs neck hairs. It wasn’t until 1938 that the fist tooth brush that we know today was invented by the DuPont Company. It was called Doctor West’s Miracle toothbrush (Weinbeger, 1948). First let’s start with the most important question. What is the dentists’ definition of a good daily tooth brushing? There are usually ten mistakes that most people seem to overlook and not think twice about doing them. The first being not knowing what kind of tooth brush to use. There are several different kinds of toothbrushes on the market. When you walk into the toothbrush isle the walls are covered with clever displays trying to get you to buy their toothbrush. Anything from electrical toothbrushes to the old school ones. The second mistake is not knowing what bristles to use. We’ve all see that different toothbrushes have different kinds of bristles. Straight bristles, bristles at an angle, some have flexible... ... middle of paper ... ...and Conditions Black, hairy tongue. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/black-hairy-tongue/basics/definition/con-20034518 National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. (2012, August). Periodontal (Gum) Disease: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments. Retrieved from NIH: http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/OralHealth/Topics/GumDiseases/PeriodontalGumDisease.htm Nazario, B. (2011, June 30). Oral health. Retrieved from WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/image-collection-oral-health#phototake_rm_colored_x-ray_of_periodontal_disease.jpg Saini, R., Saini, S., & Sharma, S. (2010). Periodontal disease linked to cardiovascular disease. Journal of Cardiovascular Disease Research, 161-162. Weinbeger, B. (1948). An introduction to the history of dentistry, with medical, dental, chronology & bibliographic data. St. Louis: C.V. Mosby Company.
Jones, D. J., Munro, C. L., & Grap, M. J. (2011). Natural history of dental plaque accumulation
Periodontal disease is the inflammation of the structures that support the teeth. This disease is the primary loss of teeth in dogs. It is caused by a build-up of dental plaque on the surfaces of the teeth and around the gums. Bacteria can accumulate in the dental plaque and irritate the gum tissue which leads to the infection of the bone that surrounds the teeth. Some effects of the disease include: bad breath, bleeding gums, oral pain, dropping food from mouth while eating and loss of appetite. In severe cases the teeth may become loose and fall out.
According to the American Dental Association, gum disease, also referred to as periodontal disease, occurs when the tissues that support and surround your teeth become infected. Many people are unaware they even have gum disease, because it isn’t a painful disease. Periodontal disease is caused by a film of sticky bacteria called plaque forming on the teeth.
The most recent classification system for periodontal diseases was developed in 1999 and is broken into seven major categories. The only reversible category is the first category. All of the subsequent categories are considered a destructive disease because damage caused by the disease cannot be undone and is permanent. The seven categories, in order, are as follows; (1) Gingivitis, (2) Chronic Periodontitis, (3) Aggressive Periodontitis, (4) Periodontitis as a manifestation of a systemic disease, (5) Necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis/periodontitis, (6) Abscesses of the periodontium, and (7) Combined periodontic-endodontic lesions. These seven categories are used to diagnose specific patients, as well as refer to a group of patients that suffer from one of the above conditions. Periodontitis is considered local if less than thirty percent of the mouth is affected, and generalized if more than thirty percent of the mouth is affected.
The variety of dental instruments that have been invented since the beginning of basic dentistry till modern times is enormous. Dentistry has been around since the Ancient Egyptians, the firsts known dentist was Hesy-Re, who has inscribed on one of his tomb walls “the greatest of those who deal with teeth”. Onward from Hesy-Re, the focus on dental health became a concern, however, it was not till about the end of the 1700’s that dentistry was regarded as true profession. Dentistry during the American Civil War was not the initial interest of the time, the focus was of course on the injured men who would come off the battle field. When one thinks of Civil War medicine they may tend to think of amputations and treating bullet wounds. However,
15-Mutneja. P, Dhawan. P, et al. Menopause and the oral cavity. Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism (2010); 16(4): 548-551.
Periodontal disease is an infection of the gingiva and alveolar bone. Periodontal disease increases in prevalence and severity as people age. Periodontal disease is precursored by gingivitis.
Since I was a child my mom used to tell me “you needed to brush your teeth at least twice a day because if you don’t do so, you are going loose them forever, and guess what, once you lose them they won’t grow back again”. I am pretty sure that for some of you this words sound very familiar, right? As I grew up I started to wonder why my mom always tell me brushing and flossing is so important? And that is the main reason why I decided to become a dental hygienist, in order to be able to teach my patients its importance.
Dental Hygienists play a vital role in your oral health. The history of a Dental Hygienist is very riveting. This profession was first founded in 1913 by Dr. Fones when he created the first Dental Hygiene education program in Bridgeport, Connecticut. In 1906 Fones trained Irene Newman on the basics, and she was then the first Dental Hygienist in the world. Later, the founding of the first Dental Hygienist training program, many more were founded.
Hirschfeld L, Wasserman B (May 1978). "A long-term survey of tooth loss in 600 treated periodontal patients". J. Periodontol. 49 (5): 225–37.doi:10.1902/jop.1978.49.5.225. PMID 277674
Tooth brushing techniques causing gingival trauma are a significant factor for gingival recession. The frequency, duration and force of brushing all contribute to recession. Excessive force and improper technique may lead to ...
Periodontal disease involves series of infections that occur within gum tissues of the mouth and the surrounding of teeth. Some infections cause simple inflammation of the gum tissues and in some cases it causes server damage within the soft tissues and bones, and a possibility of losing teeth. Periodontal disease can be prevented if people were more educated on how to keep healthy gums and teeth. People need to also understand that the way you live your lifestyle can also have effect on your health as far as oral hygiene.
Toothbrush manufacturers have poured millions of dollars and hours, to marry form and function in oral health care products that enable their users to brush frequently, comfortably, and above all, properly. Along the way, they have built the U.S. oral care market into a $2.9 billion industry, changed the brushing habits of millions and turned the lowly toothbrush into a trendy lifestyle accessory.
Twenty years of research has firmly established that periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease are associated. However the exact relationship between the two is still controversial. In order to understand the relationship between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease people need to understand the physiology, and microbiology behind both of the diseases.
The Connection Between High Blood Sugar Levels and Periodontal Disease. Saliva contains glucose; therefore, if you have uncontrolled diabetes, the amount of glucose present in your saliva is elevated. We naturally have somewhere between 200 to 300 bacterial species in our mouths: Some of these bacteria are good and some of them are bad. Streptococcus mutans is typically the bacterium responsible for causing tooth decay; whereas, periodontal disease is usually caused by a mixture of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola. Elevated glucose levels assist the harmful bacterias, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Treponema denticola, by providing the substance necessary to produce the acid that combines with our saliva to form the soft, sticky film referred to as plaque.