Oral Bacteria in Aging Populations

Oral hygiene is crucial for the preservation of teeth and the integration of implants. At The Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, we’ve seen a lot of people safely through the entire tooth replacement process. But as people age, their risk of oral health complications increases, which is why we wanted to provide some information about the connection between oral bacteria and overall health in the aging population.

Older Americans have higher rates of tooth decay than any population except young children. According to some estimates, 64% of them have periodontitis, which is the more advanced form of gum disease. People with periodontitis experience jaw bone deterioration, which makes their teeth likelier to come loose, migrate, or fall out. Their mouths also lose vertical dimension, causing bite problems. But oral bacteria will not necessarily remain confined to the mouth. They may enter the bloodstream through the dental pulp, an abscess in the gingival tissue, or through the lungs, and cause inflammation throughout the body. This would cause other prosthetics and replacement body parts, such as heart valves, to be at higher risk of premature failure. Oral bacteria that migrated to other parts of the body have also been implicated in rheumatism and Alzheimer's Disease.

It is certainly worthwhile for older people to maintain their regular brushing and flossing. They may want to consider electric toothbrushes and enlarged toothbrush grips. People with dry mouth may also want to use sugar-free gum to increase their saliva production and reduce their intake of sugary drinks, such as iced tea, sweetened coffee, and fruit juice. 

The Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania operate in Philadelphia, Folsom, and Clifton Heights. Visit Oral Surgery PA.

 

Denture Stomatitis

Do you notice red bumps developing on the roof of your mouth and at the corners of your lips? If so, that means you have an oral yeast infection. This hygiene problem is particularly likely to happen to people who wear dentures, which is why we at The Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania want our patients to understand how to prevent it.

The candida species of fungus are always present in the mouth and are generally harmless. But they can grow out of control when an upper denture is not removed and cleaned regularly. If a denture doesn’t fit well, it may irritate the tissue of the upper palate. But more often, yeast simply grows as much as it can in a place where there’s no saliva to wash it away or subject it to antimicrobial enzymes. Yeast can also grow in the corners of the mouth if they are perpetually damp. An infection is referred to as “stomatitis,” and although it may cause redness, patients do not always feel it.

Although people are at greater risk for stomatitis if they have diabetes or use inhalers, better oral hygiene is usually all that’s necessary to prevent it. Patients should remove their dentures each night and clean them with soap or a non-abrasive denture paste. (Fluoridated toothpaste will scratch dentures' plastic.) Patients should also brush their gums and the roofs of their mouths and scrape their tongues.

The Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania operate in Philadelphia, Folsom, and Clifton Heights. Visit Oral Surgery PA.

 

Pros and Cons of Electric Toothbrushes

As dentists who base our practice on removing and replacing teeth, we at Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania stress the importance of good oral hygiene. Many patients who wish to care for new implants are curious about which of the many oral hygiene products best suit their needs. When it comes to electric versus manual toothbrushes, it could depend on the person’s brushing skills.

When manual toothbrushes are used properly, they provide as much protection against tooth decay as electric toothbrushes. However, manual toothbrushes also have to be used for two minutes at a time, and many people do not use them for long enough to do a thorough job cleaning. There is also a risk that a manual toothbrush could scratch a denture, although people should only ever be using brushes with soft bristles and there are manual toothbrushes specifically designed for dentures. Electric toothbrushes make tens of thousands of strokes per minute without the user needing to move their hands as much and they don’t exert pressure, so some people get better results with them. But there is also a risk of overbrushing the gums.

Besides being more convenient for people with dexterity issues, the other major benefit of electric toothbrushes is that some of them come with Bluetooth technology. This allows them to interact with apps that monitor whether a patient is skipping over spots on their teeth.  The apps work on a similar principle to chewable plaque disclosing tablets, but can be used to track the brusher’s progress over multiple brushings. This sort of technology costs much more than regular toothbrushes, but may be worth it to someone who has been unable to prevent tooth decay using low-tech means.

Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania operate in Philadelphia, Folsom, and Clifton Heights. Visit Oral Surgery PA or call 215-463-4141.

 

National Dental Hygiene Month

Good hygiene goes a long way toward preventing dental problems. For patients at the Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, it is even more essential to ensuring successful procedures and maintaining the health of implants. October is National Dental Hygiene Month, so we thought this would be a good time for a refresher on how to clean teeth effectively.

Babies’ teeth need to be brushed from the time the first one begins to erupt, and people with dentures need to brush just as thoroughly as people with natural teeth. If you are using a non-electric toothbrush, make sure it has soft bristles. There is specialized toothpaste available for dentures, but most peoples’ needs can be met with any of the toothpaste you see in the store. Brush twice a day for two minutes per session, and be sure to reach the parts of your teeth near the gum lines. You’ll have to switch from horizontal, round strokes to vertical strokes while brushing the inward-facing sides of your teeth.

Dentists recommend flossing with regular floss, flossers, or a Waterpik, but you should never pick your teeth with something that wasn’t made for them. When flossing, slide the floss all the way along the side of each tooth and scrape plaque of them by making a shoeshine motion. Don’t forget the backs of your back teeth. Mouthwash can help fight bad breath, but it isn’t very useful on its own. A better way to combat bacteria is by using a tongue scraper once a day.

The Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania operate in Philadelphia, Folsom, and Clifton Heights. Visit Oral Surgery PA or call 215-463-4141.

National Arthritis Month

May is National Arthritis Month, and at the Oral Surgery Consultants of Philadelphia, we want our patients to understand how arthritis can impact their dental health. People with arthritis have higher frequencies of periodontal disease, and if it’s not brought under control, they may wind up losing teeth and needing replacements.

The phrase “arthritis” refers to several different diseases which cause joint inflammation. Of the two most common types, osteoarthritis is caused by wear-and-tear over time but rheumatoid arthritis is the result of the body attacking its own cells. Studies have found that rheumatoid arthritis is more highly correlated with tooth loss. The reasons for this are not entirely clear. Any disease which interferes with patients’ ability to grasp a toothbrush is going to be correlated with gum disease, but rheumatoid arthritis seems to have common genetic factors with severe periodontal disease and there are similarities between the cellular structures of the gums and joints.

Fortunately, there is also evidence that oral care can reduce periodontal disease, even in people with rheumatoid arthritis. People who have difficulty grasping ordinary toothbrushes may try an electric alternative. If Sjögren’s Syndrome is interfering with their saliva production, they might want to try artificial throat moisteners.

The Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania operate in Philadelphia, Folsom, and Clifton Heights. Visit Oral Surgery PA or call 215-463-4141.