Dental Health

BACTERIA FOUND IN YOUR MOUTH

The mouth is a dark, moist environment of a constant warm temperature with a steady supply of carbohydrates - truly ideal bacteria growing conditions. There are from 200 – 300 different species of bacteria in the mouth. There is no other place in or on the male or female body that houses this diversity of bacteria.

Bacteria can be divided into two types:
1. aerobic – those that live off and reproduce in air – mostly beneficial.
2. anaerobic – those that live in the absence of air – mostly pathological.

The excrement from the anaerobic bacteria is what you taste and smell in your mouth when you wake up in the morning. Not only is it acidic, it also forms a sticky hydrophobic (water resistant) shield around the tooth, called plaque. This is why water alone does not work to remove plaque. In addition, gums act like a gasket around the tooth, further preventing air or water to reach the anaerobic bacteria along the gum line. Something else is needed to break through the grease barrier.

Bacteria (good or bad) reproduce exponentially every hour. This means that if you start off with a bacteria population of 1x (1x being the amount of bacteria in your mouth after a professional cleaning – which you can’t achieve in the home), after one hour you have double the population of bacteria, and after two hours you have 4x, then 8x, 16x, etc. Poor cleaning in a few areas will leave heavy concentrations of plaque that can repopulate other areas of the oral cavity. You may start with a bacteria population of 10,000x and in a few hours bacteria will quickly race out of control. In addition, if you have a lot of restorations, crowns, bridges, orthodontic appliances, wisdom teeth, have periodontal disease, or don’t floss, you start out with dangerous levels of bacteria even after you are done brushing your teeth.

BACTERIA LEAD TO DENTAL PROBLEMS

There is a direct link between bacterial plaque and dental problems. Dental decay, periodontal disease, and gingivitis are all caused by the anaerobic bacteria that live in the mouth.
• Dental decay is actually caused by the acidic excrement from the bacteria. The tooth is literally being dissolved by chronically being bathed in this acid.
• Gingivitis is the inflammation of the gums caused by your own body trying to fight off the invasion of the bacteria.
• Periodontal disease (perio = around, and dontal = tooth) is the loss of bone and tissue attachment around the tooth. It is caused by a microbial invasion around the tooth by anaerobic bacteria.

Periodontal disease is the most prevalent human disease. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion in 1996 reported that 50% of all adults have gingivitis and 80% have had some degree of periodontal disease. P. Baehni and D. Bourgeois (Epidemiology of Periodontal Health and Disease, Proceedings of the European Workshop on Mechanical Plaque Control 1998) summarized findings from Dolan et al. that reported 92% of 50 – 60 year olds with periodontal disease (attachment loss greater than 4mm).

Another oral health issue is bad breath. Odors and acids are produced in the film of plaque that reside between teeth, along the gum line and on the surface of the tongue.

More of a cosmetic issue, than a health issue, are stains or yellowing teeth. The biofilm takes on pigments from foods, caffeine and smoke. These stain your teeth both extrinsically (on the surface of the tooth) as well as intrinsically (permeating the porous dentin). The dingy look of ones teeth can contribute to lower self esteem.

DENTAL PROBLEMS LINKED TO OTHER DISEASES
Over the last ten years there has been a growing body of evidence linking periodontal disease and systemic diseases. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) states “Gum disease is a threat to your oral health. Research is also pointing to possible health effects of periodontal diseases that go well beyond your mouth.”

The Research, Science and Therapy Committee of The American Academy of Periodontology 1998 reviewed numerous studies and found periodontal disease and gingivitis as potential contributing factors for infective endocarditis (damaged heart valves), cardiovascular diseases (atherosclerosis, coronary thrombosis, ischemic heart disease, stroke), diabetes, respiratory disease, low birth weight infants, and behavioral and psychosocial status. Patients with periodontal disease have a 1.5 – 2.0 times greater risk of incurring a fatal cardiovascular disease. “Importantly, dental infections appear to increase the risk of coronary artery disease to a degree similar to the classical risk factors for cardiovascular disease including age, smoking, diabetes, hypertension and elevated serum triglycerides.”

Diabetics are more susceptible to contracting infections, which is the likely reason they are more apt to have periodontal disease than those without diabetes. “…periodontal disease is often considered the sixth complication of diabetes,” claims the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP). "Controlling your periodontal disease may help you control your diabetes," adds Jack Caton, D.D.S., M.S., President of AAP.

16 millio
Americans suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and it is the sixth leading cause of mortality in the United States. F. Scannapieco, D.M.D., lead researcher of a study published in January 2001 journal of Periodontology, found that patients with periodontal disease have a 1.5 times greater risk of COPD. "Identification of potential risk factors that contribute to the development of chronic bronchitis or emphysema - respiratory diseases that comprise COPD - may suggest interventions that could prevent or delay the onset of the disease, or slow its progression," states Scannapieco.

More and more evidence is mounting to show a link between low birth weights and periodontal disease. Dr. Steven Offenbacher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1996 found that even after taking other possible causes of prematurity into account, women with periodontal disease are 7 times more likely to have a baby of low birth weight or that is premature.

Not only is there an indirect link between periodontal disease and systemic diseases, but periodontal disease is infectious or communicable and can be passed between family members.

ATTACKING THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM

The body's natural defenses alone cannot guard against these adverse conditions, and preventive care is critical to achieving good health. Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General May 2000 states, “The mouth is the center of vital tissues and functions that are critical to total health and well-being across the life span.” Your mouth is the front line of this battle, and your home dental care combined with regular professional care are fundamental to maintaining good health.

To reduce the anaerobic bacteria population (plaque) in the mouth, you must:na. break through the sticky shield with an abrasivenb. aerate the sitenc. neutralize the acid

Normal cleaning methods, like brushing and flossing, have a difficult time accessing the sites between the teeth, aerating those sites, and neutralizing the acid where the anaerobic bacteria thrive. dental air force is a tool to provide you with thorough cleaning every day and a low average count of plaque on all surfaces of teeth – cheek side, tongue side, between teeth and around the gum line.

Tooth brushing predominately over abrades the cheek surface of the teeth along the gum line, causing ridges and sensitivity to hot, cold, sweets, and further brushing. Signs of this condition begin to show as early as age 20 and are very evident in most individuals by age 50. Unfortunately, fillings do not last when restoring this damage. While the toothbrush is over abrading one surface, it under performs or does nothing at removing plaque from between the teeth. In a clinical study conducted by the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, dental air force removed 62.5% more plaque between teeth than the leading power toothbrush. It did this while being 3 times less abrasive on the cheek side surfaces of the teeth.

The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing teeth twice a day and flossing once a day to control bacteria and plaque. However, according to an ADA survey, only 5% of adults floss daily. In addition, The journal of Clinical Periodontology reported that within those 5% of people who do floss, only 18 – 35% of the plaque between their teeth is removed. dental air force is the only appliance of it’s kind to be FDA approved for marketing to replace both brushing and flossing, eliminating a step in daily home dental care. Other draw backs to flossing is the floss can act as a contaminate bringing infection from one tooth to the other. dental air force eliminates these problems. nndental air force is a brushless electrical appliance that uses a precision jet of air, water and dental cleaner to power wash teeth, between teeth and along the gum line. Progressive professional dentists use similar technology in their practices. The Prophy-Jet, used in professional cleanings, reduces or replaces the painful hand scaling used to remove plaque build up. dental air force does not eliminate regular office visits.

The system uses a dental cleaner formula with sodium bicarbonate, the most widely accepted and natural cleaning agent, to promote a neutral environment. The cleaner is free of sodium laurel sulfate, the ingredient common in most toothpastes and responsible for most of the allergy sensitivity that users experience. Other ingredients include natural mint and xylitol known as antibacterial additives. You can use the system with hydrogen peroxide and get the added benefit of intrinsically whitening your teeth and further oxygenating, disinfecting and destroying the anaerobic species of bacteria.

It is particularly effective for patients with crowns, bridges, implants and orthodontic appliances.

The longevity of your teeth is directly related to the thoroughness and frequency of removing this plaque. It is living your life with a low average amount of plaque on all surfaces of the teeth that insures this longevity. dental air force breaks through the sticky shield, aerates the site and neutralizes the acid, thus reducing the pathological anaerobic bacteria on all surfaces of the teeth.

For the cost of a digital camera, nutritional supplements or other luxuries that we have in our lives, dental air force provides - true dental insurance, professional whiting ($400 or more), systemic disease protection, time saved by combining brushing and flossing, dental work preservation, a brighter smile, higher self esteem, increased confidence about your breath in getting close to the ones you love.