Masooma Rizvi, RDH

Gingival recession, the apical shift of the gingival margins,^1,2 is the process in which the margin of the gingiva that surrounds the teeth wears away or pulls back, exposing surfaces of the tooth or the tooth’s root.^3-5 This common finding in clinical practice can lead to dentinal hypersensitivity among patients during dental hygiene visits.² To ensure patient compliance with their dental care and recare interval maintenance, it becomes imperative for practitioners to use desensitizing agents on patients to reduce dentinal hypersensitivity due to gingival recession. Various preventive measures can be taken during hygiene visits and at home for patients experiencing dentinal hypersensitivity associated to gingival recession.

Gingival recession is the result of a shift of the gingiva, positioned 0.5–2.0 mm coronal to the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) in a healthy periodontium, beyond the CEJ.⁶ Recession is a prevalent dental issue because of its gradual nature⁴ that affects most middle-aged and older people.^4,7

Masooma Rizvi, RDH, has been practicing clinical dental hygiene for five-and-a-half years in general practices across Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada. Her professional expertise caters to patients’ dental concerns relating to periodontal disease and orthodontic needs. Outside of work she likes to travel, read, and spend time with family and friends.

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If you’ve had issues with your teeth that involve weakening, white spots, or numerous cavities, one of the key causes could be demineralized enamel. To understand what demineralization is and how to remineralize in order to address the problem, take a look at this guide. You’ll understand that demineralization is not actually damage to tooth enamel – but it is the first sign that such damage may be coming soon, among other problems. Fortunately, demineralization can be stopped, and your teeth can remain protected.

What Is Demineralization?

Just as it sounds, demineralization occurs when the mineral content decreases in your tooth enamel. It is the first step to tooth decay and can be caused by several things that dentists recommend avoiding or moderating. Enamel is such a hard and protective substance for your teeth precisely because of its high mineral content, and generally speaking, demineralization has to happen before cavities and other problems occur. Once plaque pierces enamel weakened by demineralization, it more easily infects a tooth’s vulnerable interior, made of dentin and the tooth’s sensitive root. By avoiding demineralization, you can drastically reduce the chance of this happening.

Demineralization also contributes to making the teeth less attractive and oral hygiene more difficult, and it often leads to brushing being painful or less efficient. One key feature of tooth enamel is its smooth, slippery surface, which also fades away with demineralization. As the teeth get rougher, their surface area increases and plaque, tartar, and staining elements coat the teeth more readily.

How to Avoid Demineralization

For the average person in developed countries, overly acidic or sugary drinks such as sodas are the chief cause of demineralization. Brushing too hard, not keeping up with proper oral hygiene habits, and other issues with oral care will also contribute. An overly acidic oral cavity is a common cause to watch for, especially in places like the North America where the average diet is acidic. Sometimes other dietary issues can also cause demineralization, though this is less of a concern in Western societies (more on this later).

The unfortunate truth is that enamel cannot be restored or regenerated. This is because enamel is not a growing organic tissue like skin or bone, and there are no other sources of enamel in the human body that could be used for grafting. However, fluoride, an inorganic chemical compound common in dentistry, is the chief solution, used for a reversal process called remineralization.

Fluoride Treatments

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral, and as one might expect, it is very useful to restore the mineral qualities of tooth enamel, remineralizing teeth back to being smooth and strong. The most common way dentists use fluoride is by applying a foaming gel to the teeth after thoroughly cleaning them. You can also purchase such gels for you to use at home or toothpaste with a special extra-fluoride formula.

Fluoride has been so helpful for oral health and maintenance that some cities add small amounts to drinking water. It is generally safe in small quantities, and little is needed for dental fluoride remineralization gel treatments. That said, do not start using fluoride gels or an extra-fluoride toothpaste without consulting your dentist first. The additional minerals can be wasteful or even detrimental in some patients who were not facing demineralization after all, or who have a rare sensitivity to fluoride.

Dietary Issues

While more common outside of developed countries, sometimes demineralization can occur because too few minerals are being absorbed in the diet. It’s important to get the proper levels of calcium and phosphates, which come from dairy products and many types of green leafy vegetables. Fluoride can also be consumed naturally by drinking mineral water or certain types of tea, eating seafood or wheat, and a number of other things. If you want one simple solution, consider chewing sugarless gum. Saliva is the ideal self-protection for your tooth enamel, and the gum will encourage your mouth to produce more.

Take note that packing more of these food and drink items into your diet, thereby putting more minerals into your body, will not compensate for demineralization. The human body can only absorb the ideal amount of minerals every day or less, and forcing more into you will mostly have no effect, except in extreme cases where it can cause risky health issues such as kidney stones when combined with dehydration.

Demineralization might be good for things like water, but it’s never something that you want for your teeth. While demineralization isn’t damaging in itself, it is the weakening of the enamel that preludes damage such as cavities. Therefore, remineralizing your teeth through proper oral hygiene is crucial. Be sure to also watch your diet for things like soft drinks, and to visit the dentist at least once or twice a year to get a deep cleaning and proper treatment for your situation.

It can’t be stressed enough: Visit your dentist regularly and you’ll have a major head start against the progress of any demineralization.

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There is serious hidden epidemic that the public health community is just discovering. Its most obvious symptom is the growing frequency of children with crooked teeth wearing braces. But it also includes snoring, jaws hanging open, frequent stuffy noses, attention and behavioral problems, unrecognized disturbed sleeping (sleep apnea), and a general decline of physical appearance.

These symptoms indicate a building medical emergency that will likely catapult dentists, orthodontists, and sleep scientists into the front line of public health professionals. The emergency lies in the collection of serious diseases connected with mouth breathing and disturbed sleep, including heart disease, cancer, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, schizophrenia, suicide, asthma, and perhaps Alzheimer’s disease.

Disturbed sleep is an extremely serious stressor of the human mind and body. Among other things, it tends to depress the immune system, making an individual much more vulnerable to a wide variety of diseases and resulting in myriad modifications to the brain that are only partially understood. Add to this the large contributions of sleep deprivation to highway accidents, medical mistakes, and poor performance at work and in school, and you can see how important this unrecognized public health emergency is.

The Dental Connection

The dental connection comes from poor jaw development, which can be traced back to environmental changes resulting from industrialization. One primary cause is a lifestyle that reduces the amount of chewing a developing child needs to do. Since industrialization, children are no longer weaned to the relatively tough foods their parents eat. Instead, they are switched to soupy baby foods.

Indeed, in their early lives, children often transition from pablum to a fast food diet that is becoming increasingly soft and liquid-like. Few kids get to gnaw on a tough buffalo haunch, instead feasting on hamburgers, cakes and candies that melt in their mouth, sugary soft drinks, and the like.

When mothers can nurse, many cannot do it for long enough, or they may pump their breast milk and have a caregiver deliver it through a bottle. They recognize this is excellent for the child’s nutrition, but nursing directly from the breast exercises the jaw muscles. Having milk poured into their mouths from a bottle, not so much.

This lack of exercise causes poor development of too small jaws, crowded and crooked teeth, impacted last molars (wisdom teeth), and unattractive long faces and receding jaws. To understand why hardly requires rocket science. Imagine how leg development would be affected if children were not allowed to walk.

Another environmental change that contributed to the epidemic was moving indoors, where things that cause allergies such as dust mites and formaldehyde concentrate. Allergies create stuffy noses, and that leads to mouth breathing. That, in turn, bypasses the natural air cleaning, warming, and humidifying functions for which the nose was designed.

Since the bottom of the nose is the top of the upper jaw, this changes the pressures of the air flowing through the nose and mouth, hindering jaw development. This phenomenon was documented long ago by experiments in which blocking the noses of rhesus monkeys produced great distortions in their jaws.

Potential Solutions

The “cures” for the jaw epidemic are simple in outline. First, we must return childrens’ diets to much chewier foods, perhaps even supplementing them with special tough chewing gums. We must also modify some current orthodontic techniques to emphasize forward movement of both jaws and avoid extractions.

Dentists should encourage “forwardontics,” a program focused on keeping the airway open, through sets of exercises designed to correct jaw “posture.” We have learned that how one’s jaws and tongue are held when not eating or talking is key to healthy jaw development.

At the public level, a determined and well-supported educational program will be necessary. At the personal level, healthy jaw development will require careful and long-term cooperation of children (and parents) who have not benefited from jaw-friendly rearing, all under the supervision of dentists familiar with forwardontics.

While new studies and books are making headlines about the rising epidemic of poor sleep, none have examined its startling relationship with poor jaw development until now. Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic uncovers this serious, mounting, but virtually unknown public health crisis.

Most people in industrial societies today do not recognize the facial distortion that is common, the spreading of sleep apnea, the extent of children wearing braces, or other symptoms of an epidemic in oral-facial health that can be traced to how most people eat and hold their mouths at rest.

People tend to accept the world in which they grew up as the standard. But what is common is not necessarily “normal” or healthy. There is growing evidence that a substantial portion of the population could have better lives when it comes to oral-facial health and the many consequences of its lack.

Indeed, if spreading knowledge about oral-facial health could become a civilization-wide priority, a huge dent could be made in the swelling epidemic of sleep apnea (and possibly a lesser dent in several other nasty diseases, ranging from heart problems and cancer to mental decline). Our hope is that many children and their families could avoid the medical consequences of poor oral posture and the high cost of correcting it entirely.

Dr. Kahn is a graduate of the University of Mexico and the University of the Pacific. She has 25 years of clinical experience in orthodontics and is part of craniofacial anomalies teams at the University of California, San Francisco and Stanford University. She can be reached at forwardontics.com.

Dr. Ehrlich has been a household name since the publication of his 1968 bestseller, The Population Bomb. He is Bing Professor of Population Studies Emeritus and president of the Center for Conservation Biology at Stanford University. He also is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and a recipient of the Crafoord Prize, the Blue Planet Prize, and numerous other international honors. He investigates a wide range of topics in population biology, ecology, evolution, human ecology, and environmental science. He can be reached at pre@stanford.edu.

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The House of Representatives passed the Action for Dental Health Act of 2017 (HR 2422) by a vote of 387-13 on February 26. Co-authored by Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL) and dentist and Congressman Mike Simpson(R-ID), it authorizes $18 million annually for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Oral Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Programs and $13.9 million annually for five years for Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grants to states to support oral health workforce activities.

“Unfortunately, too many Americans lack access to oral healthcare because of cost or a lack of dentists in their area. This bill starts to change that by making oral healthcare more accessible,” said Kelly. “In a time of a deeply divided Congress, I’m glad that Congressman Simpson and I could put forward a bipartisan bill that would win the support of hundreds of our colleagues.”

“I am thrilled with the overwhelming bipartisan support for the Action for Dental Health Act,” Simpson said. “With house passage today, we are advancing a solution to better utilize resources to improve early diagnosis, intervention, and preventive treatments which can stop the progress of oral diseases.

The bill would establish a new “Action for Dental Health Program” within the CDC account that would provide grants for oral health education, dental disease prevention, and reducing barriers to dental services. Eligible entities would include state or local dental associations, state oral health programs, dental education programs, or community organizations that help facilitate dental services for underserved populations.

As part of the HRSA grants, the bill would expand programs that provide oral health services in dental health professional shortage areas to include:

• Establishing dental homes, which the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry has defined as comprehensive oral healthcare, for children and adult
• Establishing initiatives to reduce the use of emergency departments for dental services
• Providing dental care to nursing home residents.

The bill has been received in the Senate, where it has been read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. It has been endorsed by the ADA, the National Dental Association, the American Dental Education Association, and other organizations.

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When was the last time you spoke to your dentist about your gut health? If the answer is never, don’t worry. It’s unfortunately not a topic brought up in the dental office, even though it should be. When we think of gut health, we think of the usual —gas, indigestion, bloating. But all too often, gut health imbalances are “silent” and the only symptoms that show up are in the mouth. This is yet another way the mouth is a window into the health of the rest of the body.

In this article, we’ll discuss what you need to know about the mouth-gut connection, including how to know if you could have a gut health disturbance, what to discuss with your dentist, and how to take care of your mouth to optimize gut health.

Why Gut Health Matters

Gut health isn’t just about avoiding indigestion— it’s about caring for the over 100 trillion bacteria in your digestive system. These bacteria need to exist in a healthy balance for your body to function properly.

Your gut has been linked to many aspects of health, including mental health conditions, energy levels, weight, and even behavioral issues in children. Additionally, gut problems have been correlated with weight gain, nutrient malabsorption, high blood sugar and cholesterol, fatigue, and depression, just to name a few. More importantly, proper treatment of gut issues can improve mood, energy, metabolism, sleep, and skin.

The role of the gut microbiome is so deeply interwoven into your bodily functions, especially cognitive functions, that it’s often referred to as your ‘second brain’. For example, someone with a silent gut problem may experience no digestive symptoms, but instead insomnia, fatigue or depression. This is because the gut and the brain communicate in a two-way street, known as the gut-brain axis. When your gut microbiome is unbalanced and the harmful bacteria are overtaking the beneficial bacteria, your gut sends a signal to your brain that something’s wrong, which has been shown to cause stress, anxiety, depression, and other neurological issues.

Essentially — when your gut isn’t well, you aren’t well.

While improving one’s gut health is not a guaranteed to fix every problem, the data is compelling regarding the potential improvements you can experience when you improve your gut health.

Symptoms to Watch Out For

Your oral health is intimately related with your gut health; the mouth is the first section of the digestive tract, which runs from mouth to rectum which is why it’s important to understand what a gut health imbalance looks like in the mouth. So if you have a burning sensation in the mouth, dry mouth, or sore tongue, it might be a good idea to look more closely into your gut health.

Sometimes it’s hard to know if you have a problem in the gut, because some gut problems are ‘silent,’ meaning a digestive issue is present but it is not causing any digestive symptoms, it’s only causing symptoms in other parts of the body.

Fortunately, problems in the mouth can tip us off that a gut problem is present. A fascinating study found that the following symptoms were predictive of damage occurring in the stomach:

• A burning sensation in the mouth (aka burning mouth)
• Dry mouth
• Sore tongue

If these symptoms were present, there was a 60-98% association to stomach autoimmunity, known as anti-parietal cell autoimmunity (APCA).

What is APCA?

APCA is an autoimmune process wherein your immune system attacks and damages cells in your stomach lining, known as parietal cells.  Parietal cells are important because they produce stomach acid, and stomach acid is crucial for healthy digestion.

More specifically, stomach acid is needed for:

• Absorption of vitamins and minerals
• Digestion of proteins
• Prevention of parasitic infection
• Prevention of bacterial and fungal overgrowths

This is why we often see chronic anemias and bacterial or fungal overgrowths in those with low stomach acid. Anemias are a major cause of fatigue and poor exercise tolerance. Bacterial and fungal overgrowths can manifest as a wide array of symptoms, including fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, gas, bloating, loose stool, constipation, skin problems, and depression.

So who is at risk for this APCA condition that damages their stomach lining and decreases their stomach acid production?

• Those with oral symptoms as listed above
• Those with anemias
• Those with thyroid autoimmunity, aka Hashimoto’s (20-40% of those with Hashimoto’s are affected by APCA)
• Those with any type of autoimmunity

It is also important to clarify that just because your risk is increased if the above are present, this doesn’t mean you will have this problem. So don’t be alarmed, but just understand it might be a good idea to check for this APCA. APCA can be easily checked with a blood test available from most major labs, and is known as anti-parietal cell antibodies test.

Why does treatment matter? Quelling stomach autoimmunity of APCA can preserve the health of your parietal cells and thus ensure you maintain the ability to produce adequate levels of stomach acid. Remember that stomach acid production is essential for healthy digestion. Also, if you maintain your ability to produce stomach acid, it will prevent the need to take supplemental digestive acid like betaine HCl.

What to Ask Your Dentist if You Suspect Gut Health Issues

If you are experiencing a burning sensation in the mouth, dry mouth or sore tongue talk to your dentist about these symptoms and rule out possible dental causes for these problems.

If not dental related and if seen along with thyroid autoimmunity, anemia, digestive symptoms, or any other autoimmune condition, consider getting screened with the APCA blood test. The APCA is a simple and quick blood test, similar to any other you’ve gotten with a doctor. This test is also reliable and a good way to detect gastric parietal cell antibodies in most patients. Your doctor may not be familiar with it because it’s not a commonly ordered marker. However, this test can be ordered direct to consumer labs by making an appointment with a LabCorp testing facility.

Find a healthcare provider who focuses on digestive health to assist you. Look for someone who is open-minded, but also conservative and practical. If your practitioner suspects APCA or other gut health disturbances, s/he can perform an  evaluation for H. pylori and bacterial or fungal overgrowths.

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There are many forms of self-expression, art, writing, fashion, even body piercing. When it comes to oral piercings, however–such as lip, labret, cheek and tongue piercings–it’s important to know all the risks involved.

Know The Risks Before You Pierce

Piercing anywhere near the mouth is very different than simply piercing an earlobe. The oral cavity is home to an abundance of bacteria as well as an intricate system of nerves and blood vessels. Because of this, there are a number of health-related risks associated with oral piercings. Some of these include:

Bacterial Infection: The mouth hosts vast amounts of bacteria and is thus easily infected. If the piercing is not done with sterile tools or if the wound is not properly taken care of, bacterial infections–and even secondary infections like hepatitis and herpes simplex virus–can develop.

Damage to teeth and gums: Contact between teeth and jewelry leads to tooth enamel erosion and oftentimes cracked or chipped teeth. Irreversible gum recession is also a common side effect of oral piercings, which can lead to tooth sensitivity and even tooth loss.  As much as we want to avoid gum recession Dr. Nemeth has a new, minimally invasive treatment to treat receding gums.  To learn more about the Pinhole Gum Rejuvenation Technique visit our website at https://drnemeth.com/pinhole-surgical-technique-2/

Difficulty with speech, swallowing, chewing and tasting: Oral piercings can cause an increase in saliva production, sometimes making speech difficult. Tongue piercings have been known to swell, too, potentially hindering normal function and blocking the airway. Oral piercings have also been known to alter taste.

Allergic reaction: Allergic reactions to the metal in the jewelry are possible, especially if surgical-grade stainless steel isn’t used.

Nerve damage or prolonged bleeding: This mostly occurs with tongue piercings. Because the tongue is a muscle, it contains a lot of nerves and blood vessels, including arteries. Movement problems, or numbness and loss of sensation at the site of the piercing can occur if nerves are damaged. If a blood vessel is punctured, bleeding can be severe and hard to control.

Gum disease:  Oral piercings put the wearer at greater risk for periodontal, or gum disease. Gum disease can lead to tooth and bone loss, and some studies have associated gum disease with other health conditions like diabetes and stroke.  Considering that periodontal disease is systemically linked to your heart, blood sugar levels, Alzheimer’s disease, and more recent studies are finding a link between pancreatic cancer, this is something that deserves additional thought before taking the plunge on an oral piercing.

In the video below Dr. Nemeth discusses some additional ways that oral piercings can affect your teeth and overall oral health.

 If You Choose Oral Piercings, Do It the Right Way

After understanding the risks, if you still decide to get an oral piercing make sure the procedure is performed by a trained professional who uses sterile instruments. Consult with your dentist before getting an oral piercing to learn proper aftercare and maintenance that will help you reduce your risk of infection or periodontal (gum) disease.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

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Have you ever wondered why human beings have so many oral health issues? We need braces, teeth cleanings, fillings — you name it. Seems like a pretty high maintenance part of the body, doesn’t it?

In 1925, there was a dentist who felt the same way. His dental practice was just too busy. It didn’t seem right to him that so many people had bad teeth and he suspected something in the modern lifestyle was the cause for all these oral health problems in his patients.

So he and his wife set off on a journey to find people around the world unaffected by the modern diet. Dr. Weston Price and Mrs. Price traveled to the most remote regions of Africa, the barely accessible mountain villages of Switzerland, and the jungles of the Peruvian Amazon.

What they found were people with health so exceptional that they had no need for dentists or doctors. They had exceptional health, weren’t afflicted by modern diseases we see as common, and enjoyed a squared life curve.

These “primitive” people had no concept of oral hygiene as we know it today and yet, had perfectly straight teeth, large airways, and perfectly developed jaws — quite different from the frequent cavities, gum disease, and need for braces which we accept as “normal” today.

As these people left home to move to the city or as trade routes brought modern foods to these communities, without exception, dental decay, crooked teeth, and gum disease would set in immediately with the next generation.

Where the parents had beautiful, broad faces, the generation born after the introduction of the modern diet had narrow dental arches and crowded, crooked teeth and underdeveloped jaws. These children had cavities and behavioral issues, Dr. Price reported. The birthing process was also much longer and more difficult.

So what changed in the modern lifestyle that caused all this? What does it have to do with dental health? And what can we do about it to protect ourselves as we live in this modern age?

How Does Breastfeeding Impact Oral Development?

How long a child breastfeeds can determine whether or not that child grows up to experience a lifetime of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), cavities, speech issues, TMD, behavioral and emotional issues, and dementia.

This is because breastfeeding is what enables proper development of a baby’s oral cavity, breathing muscles and airway.

Anything other than a breast’s soft nipple in an infant’s mouth can negatively impact oral development.

A soft nipple adapts to the shape of the infant’s mouth, but anything firm requires the mouth to do the adapting.

The movement of the tongue by the infant during breastfeeding also allows for proper development of the swallowing action of the tongue, alignment of the teeth, and shaping of the roof of the mouth. This movement of the tongue is unique to breastfeeding and can’t be simulated with bottles, pacifiers, or sippy cups.

So, not surprisingly, the longer a child breastfeeds, the better the development of oral cavity so there’s plenty of space for teeth to come in without crowding, allowing for a proper bite and a wide open airway.

Straight teeth aren’t just a matter of looks.

What happens when the oral cavity doesn’t develop properly?

Tongue thrusts, a condition where the tongue sticks out at rest. Also called reverse swallowing, this requires extensive speech therapy and orthodontics work.

A bad bite that can cause TMD, jaw pain, and uneven wearing of the teeth, leading them to wear down and cause pain and sensitivity.

Inability to pronounce words, also requiring speech therapy.

Obstructive sleep apnea due to an airway that hasn’t properly developed and collapses easily during complete relaxation of the muscles during the approach to deep stage sleep. OSA in children is related to and perhaps partially causative of ADHD and other behavioral issues, and if not treated, in adulthood can cause anxiety, depression, Alzheimer’s, and dementia.

How Does Vitamin K2 Impact Oral Development?

Every time I see a child in a stroller holding a ziplock bag of Goldfish crackers or saltine crackers, I feel like saying something to the parents, but instead I come home and blog about it.

The problem with the modern diet, as Dr. Price found, is that our packaged food has replaced ancestral nutrient-dense foods.

A specific nutrient called vitamin K2 is responsible for routing calcium into its proper place in the teeth and bones and contributing to proper development of teeth, the oral cavity, and the tongue and breathing muscles.

Why Isn’t Vitamin K2 Naturally Present In Food?

Grass-fed cows is sadly something of the past. Without grass in the diet, cows are not able to produce vitamin K2, and we humans miss out big time.

The modern diet has obliterated sources of vitamin K2-rich foods. That’s because, when we removed animals from the pasture and put them indoors using intensive, confined farming techniques and grain feeding, we inadvertently removed vitamin K2 from our diet.

Humans can’t convert vitamin K1 from plants into essential K2, but animals can — if they have abundant K1 in their diets. And K1 has to come from grass. The grain that most animals are fed now contains a fraction of the necessary K1 found in grass.

When animals grazed on pasture, vitamin K2 was abundant in food supply. Butter, eggs, cheese, and meat, even when eating in small amounts, easily met our bit K2 needs. Now we are starving the for nutrients.

You might think that by taking a calcium supplement, you’re in the clear. But all a calcium supplement does is dump calcium into your body in all the wrong places — namely, in the arteries, contributing to the #1 killer in North America of men and women: heart disease.

Vitamin K2 guides calcium away from building up in the arteries and injects it straight into the bones and teeth where it belongs — protecting our bodies from osteoporosis, cavities, and the narrow airways and poor oral cavity development that all contribute to obstructive sleep apnea.

The ancestral peoples Dr. Price visited all had diets rich in vitamin K2, allowing for proper structural development of their oral cavities, textbook straight teeth, and wide open airways that gave these peoples the deep stage sleep that kept them young and healthy until their very last days.

How Can I Get Vitamin K2?

In order to get K2, it has to come from meat or dairy from an animal that was fed grass in their diet. “Fed a vegetarian diet” is not the same thing as grass fed.

Look for meats and dairy products from animals who were fed grass in their diet. As long as the animal was fed grass, butter, organ meats, and aged and curd cheeses are rich sources of vitamin K2.

Food Sources of Vitamin K2:

• Fish eggs
• Goat cheese, goat milk, and goat butter (here’s a hack for next time you’re grocery shopping — goats are always grass-fed!)
• Grass-fed butter
• Egg yolks from chickens who were grass-fed (even if the chickens were fed herbs, that will do the trick!)
• Elk, venison, and wild boar (also animals that are always grass-fed)
• Sauerkraut and other fermented foods
• Natto (a soy dish popular in Japan)

How to Set Up Your Kids For Optimum Oral Health For Life

Breastfeed as long as you can. Before you have a baby, make sure to assess your diet and health to see if there are changes you can make to prepare you to breastfeed as long as possible.

Ensure the presence of vitamin K2 in the diet, especially early on. Squeeze in that healthy food while they’re an infant and they can’t protest — in almost no time, they’ll be heading to birthday parties and friends’ houses eating all sorts of junk, so the early years are when you can set them up for life.

Don’t use pacifiers or sippy cups due to their harmful impact on your child’s developing oral cavity.

Replace saltine crackers or goldfish. Try apple slices and almond butter, grass-fed salami or cheese cubes instead.

Sources

Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little-known Vitamin Could Change Your Life by Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue

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What causes gingivitis?

The accumulation of plaque and tartar

The most common cause of gingivitis is the accumulation of bacterial plaque between and around the teeth; the plaque triggers an immune response, which, in turn, can eventually lead to the destruction of gingival (gum) tissue. It may also, eventually, lead to further complications, including the loss of teeth.

Dental plaque

Dental plaque is a biofilm that accumulates naturally on the teeth. It is usually formed by colonizing bacteria that are trying to stick to the smooth surface of a tooth. Some experts believe that these bacteria might help protect the mouth from the colonization of harmful microorganisms. However, dental plaque can also cause tooth decay, and periodontal problems such as gingivitis and chronic periodontitis, a gum infection.

When plaque is not removed adequately, it can harden into calculus (tartar – it has a yellow color) at the base of the teeth, near the gums. Calculus is harder to remove, and can only be removed professionally.

Plaque and tartar eventually irritate the gums, this eventually causes inflammation of the part of the gums around the base of the teeth. This means that the gums might easily bleed.

Other causes and risk factors

Changes in hormones – which may occur during puberty, menopause, the menstrual cycle, and pregnancy. The gingiva might become more sensitive, raising the risk of inflammation.

Some diseases – such as cancer, diabetes, and HIV are linked to a higher risk of developing gingivitis.

Drugs – oral health may be affected by some medications, especially if saliva flow is reduced. Dilantin (anticonvulsant), and some anti-angina medications can cause abnormal growth of gum tissue.

Smoking – regular smokers more commonly develop gingivitis compared with non-smokers.

Age – the risk of gingivitis increases with age.

Poor diet – especially people with vitamin C deficiency.

Family history – experts say that people whose parent(s) has/had gingivitis, have a higher risk of developing it too. This is thought to be due to the type of bacteria we acquire during our early life.

Signs and symptoms of gingivitis

In mild cases of gingivitis, there may be no discomfort or noticeable symptoms.

Signs and symptoms of gingivitis might include:

• Gums are bright red or purple.
• Gums are tender and sometimes painful to the touch.
• Gums bleed easily when brushing teeth or flossing.
• Halitosis (bad breath).
• Inflammation (swollen gums).
• Receding gums.
• Soft gums.

Diagnosing gingivitis

A dentist or oral hygienist will check for gingivitis symptoms, such as plaque and tartar in the oral cavity.

Checking for signs of periodontitis may also be recommended; this may be done by X-ray or periodontal probing (an instrument that measures pocket depths around a tooth).

Treatment options for gingivitis

If the patient is diagnosed early on, and treatment is prompt and proper, gingivitis can be successfully reversed.

Treatment involves care by a dental professional, and follow-up procedures carried out by the patient at home.

Gingivitis care with a dental professional:

Plaque and tartar are removed. This is known as scaling. Some patients may find scaling uncomfortable, especially if tartar build-up is extensive, or the gums are very sensitive.

The dental professional explains to the patient the importance of oral hygiene, and how to effectively brush their teeth and floss.

Periodically, they may follow up on the patient, with more frequent cleanings if necessary.

It is also important to fix teeth so that oral hygiene can be done effectively.

Some dental problems, such as crooked teeth, badly fitted crowns or bridges, may make it harder to properly remove plaque and tartar (they may also irritate the gums).

What the patient can do at home:

• Brush teeth at least twice a day.
• Bear in mind that in most cases, electric toothbrushes do a better job than we can do on our own.
• Floss teeth at least once a day.
• Regularly rinse mouth with an antiseptic mouthwash. Ask a dentist to recommend one.

Possible complications from gingivitis

In the vast majority of cases, if gingivitis is treated and the patient follows the dental health professional’s instructions, there are no complications. However, if the condition is left untreated, gum disease can spread and affect tissue, teeth, and bones, leading to periodontitis.

Complications can include:

• Abscess in the gingiva.
• Abscess in the jaw bones.
• Infection in the jaw bone or gingiva.
• Periodontitis – this is a more serious condition that can lead to loss of teeth due to bone loss.
• Recurrent gingivitis.
• Trench mouth – ulceration of the gums caused by bacterial infection.

Several studies have linked gum diseases, such as periodontitis, to cardiovascular diseases, including heart attack or stroke. Other reports have found an association with lung disease risk.

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When the labels claim “100% juice,” “no added sugar” and “all natural,” it’s tempting to think that juice is a good nutritional choice for children. That’s why parents buy gallons of it every year, daycares stock juice boxes adorned with beloved cartoon characters, and school cafeterias serve juice to help satisfy the USDA daily fruit requirements. But according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), drinking lots of juice isn’t doing kids any good.

A new policy statement issued by the AAP — the organization’s first new juice recommendations since 2001 — advises parents and caregivers to scale juice consumption way back among children. The bottom line: Just say no to any juice in the first year of a child’s life, and severely limit juice consumption for the rest of childhood. What’s the problem?

Rising obesity rates in children and concerns over a rapid and destructive form of tooth decay known as “early childhood caries” have sparked concern. The new recommendations state that 100 percent juice can be part of a well-balanced diet over age 1… but with a daily limit of 4 ounces per day from ages 1-3, 4 to 6 ounces through age 6, and 8 ounces through age 18. However, juice is “absolutely unnecessary for children under 1,” according to Dr. Melvin B. Heyman, MD, one of the authors of the AAP statement issued in May 2017.

Even in juice with no added sugar, the higher concentration of sugars naturally found in fruit can lead to tooth decay, the most common chronic disease among young children. So while serving juice is easy — it involves no washing or slicing, and it can be sipped from convenient on-the-go containers like juice boxes or sippy cups — it isn’t what’s best for kids. When children are old enough to eat solid foods, fruit is the way to go because it provides fiber, is less calorie-dense and makes you feel fuller. And when children do consume juice, for the best dental health they should drink it within the recommended limits and only with a meal.

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How Your Gums Work

If you examine your gums, they should be a healthy shade of pink, not red. You can notice they make a C shape around the neck of the tooth (where your tooth begins to get skinnier). Where they touch your teeth, they form a small groove, like a collar around the tooth.

Though they are a tiny part of your body, gums have a big job. They protect the neck and roots of your teeth from bacteria. Without healthy gums guarding your teeth, bacteria can sneak beneath your teeth, damaging tissues. Over time, the tissues become too damaged to hold your teeth, leading to loose teeth that can even fall out.

What Causes Bleeding Gums

Gums usually bleed becomes something irritates them. Here are common reasons gums get irritated:

Gingivitis (Gum Disease)

If you don’t floss or brush regularly, bacteria (also called plaque) builds up in the groove around your teeth. Sometimes you can even see the plaque as white or yellowish marks by your gums.

As bacteria grow and move, they irritate your gums, causing gingivitis. Gingivitis is the early stage of gum disease, and its most common symptom is bleeding gums. Besides bleeding gums, you could also have gingivitis symptoms like red gums, sensitive gums and bad breath.

Luckily, this stage of gum disease is reversible. Your dentist can help scrape away plaque and bacteria. Brushing and flossing keeps the bacteria away for good so you can enjoy healthy gums.

However, if gingivitis gets worse, your gums may start to pull away from your teeth, leaving space for bacteria to travel into tissues below your teeth. The longer bacteria live in your tissues, the worse your dental health gets.

Pregnancy

When you are pregnant, changes in your hormones affect your entire body. Your gums are no exception. Hormone changes can cause “pregnancy gingivitis.” Your gums may swell up and become sensitive, causing bleeding when your brush or floss. To avoid oral health issues, talk to your dentist about how to care for your teeth when you are pregnant.

Medicines

The medicines you take can make your gums more likely to bleed even if you have excellent brushing and flossing habits. Blood thinners and aspirin keep your blood from clots that stop bleeding. These medicines especially increase your risk of bleeding gums and may cause your gums to bleed for a long time after brushing.

You should tell your dentist if you are taking these medicines. We dentists want to help your mouth be as healthy as possible, but if we don’t know about your general health, we can’t give you the right care.

A New Oral Health Routine

If you have just started a new oral health routine, such as brushing or flossing more often, your gums may bleed until your mouth gets used to the new habits. Brushing and flossing clears away bacteria and plaque from your gums. As you practice these good habits, you gums should bleed less and less and eventually stop altogether.

Keep in mind that brushing too hard can also irritate your gums and cause them to bleed. Always use a gentle motion when brushing and consider getting a brush with soft bristles.

When to See Your Dentist About Bleeding Gums

So do you need to see your dentist? Maybe.

Sometimes, if you practice good habits, your gums will get better without a visit to the dentist.

But if your gums bleed regularly, such as every time you brush your teeth for a few weeks, I encourage you to make an appointment to see your dentist soon. You should also call your dentist if your gums bleed for a long time after you have stopped brushing or flossing.

I also recommend that you see your dentist if you experience other symptoms of gum disease, such as:

•       Red or swollen gums
•       Sensitive gums, especially to hot or cold temperatures
•       Gums seem to be separating from teeth, leaving a gap between the gum and the tooth
•       Frequent bad breath or taste in your mouth
•       Loose teeth as an adult
•       Changes in the way your top and bottom teeth align

The sooner you see your dentist about signs of gum disease, the more likely you’ll be able to reverse the condition.

What to Consider if You Have Bleeding Gums

While bleeding gums aren’t a cause for panic, they are a sign that you need to make positive changes to your oral health routine. I would encourage everyone to improve their gum health with these tips.

• Brush and floss twice a day. Flossing pulls bacteria out of the grooves around your teeth and prevents plaque from building up. Brushing also removes the layer of bacteria on your teeth. If you bleed when you brush or floss, it does not mean that you should back off. Remember, healthy gums don’t bleed when brushed. So it’s not the brushing, it’s the inflammation, or state of disease that makes them bleed. In dentistry we call this “bleeding upon provocation”.
• Use an electric toothbrush. Electric toothbrushes can remove plaque and bacteria around your gums more effectively than regular toothbrushes. These brushes move faster than you ever could move a brush while still providing a gentle clean.
• See your dentist regularly. You should see your dentist for a cleaning at least every six months or more often as your dentist suggests. During cleanings, your dentist removes plaque build-up on your teeth. Your dentist can also answer questions about bleeding gums or other oral health issues.
• Avoid tobacco. Tobacco products, including cigarettes and chewing tobacco, hurt all aspects of your health, including your oral health. Tobacco destroys your teeth and gums, leading to tooth decay and loss of teeth.
• Eat a healthy diet. The foods you eat impact the health of your mouth. Sugars and starches provide food for bacteria, helping them grow. Eating throughout the day also can increase the amount of bacteria in your mouth. Reduce how many carbohydrates and snacks you eat to experience better oral health.
• Nose breathe at night and during the day. If you are a mouth breather, find a solution (your dentist can help). Even healthy gums will change color and will be more likely to bleed as a dry mouth changes pH and allows the wrong bacteria to become dominant. If you see that mostly you anterior gums are swollen and red, and not the posterior gums, this could be a result of as simple as mouth breathing. Try mouth taping when you go to bed tonight to see if that helps!

So many of us find it easy to ignore the presence of blood in our mouth. We see at the dentist when we get our teeth cleaned.It’s routine, right? Remember It’s important to realize that gum disease has greater ramifications to the rest of the body. Gum disease is actually a greater predictor of morbidity than heart disease is. Next time you see blood on your floss you should think of this fact. The only real good solution to fixing those bleeding gums, ultimately, is a trip to the dentist. I hope this post has convinced you of that.

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