At Every Age and Every Stage 15 issue aug ‘24
Generations Smiles of
Oral
Health Means
Better
Health
Oral Health For Her: Adolescence to Adulthood
Quality care from sea to shining sea.
Trying for a Baby? Brush Your Teeth!
Here’s a fact they probably never taught you in health class: The state of your teeth and gums may play a role in your fertility.
For years, obstetricians and dentists have known about the link between periodontal disease and the increased risk of birth defects and preterm birth.1 The association got researchers thinking: If gum disease affects the early stages of a baby’s development, could it also affect the likelihood of pregnancy?
As it turns out, yes. Infertility has been on the rise in the U.S., with 11% of women and 9% of men saying they’ve had trouble having a baby.2
Recent studies are now shedding light on an unexpected culprit: gum disease. 3 While more work is needed to clarify these early findings, researchers discovered that oral bacteria can affect the reproductive organs of both men and women, lowering sperm count and possibly preventing ovulation or implantation.⁴
If the association between healthy teeth and a healthy pregnancy surprises you, keep in mind that whole-body health begins in the mouth.
Chronic inflammation anywhere in the body can affect organs and systems everywhere in the body. Take polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a condition found in nearly 20% of women who have trouble conceiving.⁵ Large studies name inflammation, including gum disease, as a key risk factor in the condition.⁶ The reverse is also true, with studies suggesting that women who have PCOS are more prone to periodontal disease.⁷
In other words, as you plan for a visit from the stork, remember to pay a visit to your dentist!
Until Next Time,
Carolyn Ghazal, DDS
Contents
Trying for a Baby? Brush Your Teeth!
Discover the surprising link between oral health and fertility, and how gum disease can impact your chances of conception.
Smiling Through Puberty
Hormonal changes during puberty affect oral health. Who knew? Learn tips for maintaining healthy gums during adolescence.
The Science of Saliva: An Early Warning System for Oral Health
Learn about a groundbreaking saliva test that detects gum disease before symptoms appear, revolutionizing oral health diagnostics.
The Mouth-Body Connection® on Morning TV
Catch this interview (any time of day) with Smile Generation-trusted dentists on The Balancing Act with Montel Williams and Olga Villaverde!
page 03 page 12 page 08 page 06
By Dr. Lulu Tang
Smiling through Puberty
I felt heartbroken as I delivered the bad news to my patient: Her gums had receded to the point that I needed to remove a few of her teeth and surgically rebuild the gum tissue she had lost.
She was 16.
While irreversible gum disease is mostly an adult problem, the potential for gum disease goes into overdrive during adolescence, when hormones create a cascade of changes in the body. It is not unusual in my practice to see people who skipped dental visits in their adolescent years and now need dentures in their 30s. Oral health during puberty, particularly for young women, can have a profound effect on gum health for life.
Blame the Hormones
The rush of estrogen & progesterone during puberty can increase blood flow to the gums of tween and teen girls, leaving them red, swollen and sensitive to bleeding. Swelling also leaves the mouth more susceptible to plaque, the bacteria that can cause gum disease.
For women, of course, hormonal changes don’t end with puberty. Each month, progesterone will peak a few days before menstruation. This can trigger swollen and bleeding gums.
Learning how to manage these changes during the adolescent years is important for a lifetime of healthy smiles– your dentist can help. Visit the dentist every six months and maintain good oral hygiene (that means brushing at least twice a day and flossing regularly).
Teach Young Girls the Warning Signs
Dentists spend a lot of time teaching our younger patients how to properly brush and floss, but the teen years are foundational for good oral health –and I admit that it’s easy to forget that these emerging adults still need more help than we think when it comes to taking care of their teeth.
How can you help empower your teen to know if her mouth needs professional attention? Ask her the following:
• Do your gums bleed when you brush or floss? If so, that is a sign of gingivitis, an early and reversible form of gum disease.
• Are your gums red or swollen?
• Does it appear your gums are pulling away from your teeth?
• Do you have unexplained bad breath?
• Are your adult teeth loose?
If you’re concerned, call the dentist, even if they're not due for their sixmonth checkup. When it comes to preventing irreversible gum disease, early intervention is key.
Rebuild Good Habits
The hormonal changes of puberty are well-known for disrupting their sleep patterns, intensifying their moods, and impacting their decisionmaking abilities. As adults, it’s our responsibility to help them get back on track. I recommend turning oral hygiene concerns into questions such as, “What is stopping you from brushing and flossing your teeth every night?”
If you’re lucky enough to get more than a grunt and eye roll as a response, use the answer as a learning opportunity. (If your tween or teen replies “I forgot to brush,” for example, suggest she put a sticky note on her pillow reminding her to brush before she goes to bed.)
She may be getting older, but she still needs your guidance. Acting quickly is crucial: catching gingivitis, an early and reversible form of gum disease, can help keep advanced gum disease at bay. The complexities of puberty might not always bring joy, but maintaining good oral habits through those tween and teen years will make a difference in the long run.
So, remind the tween or teen in your life:
From girlhood to womanhood good dental habits are not just for kids!
THE SCIENCE OF SALIVA:
An Early Warning System for Oral Health
During a typical dental exam, it’s routine for your dentist to check for the early signs of periodontal disease, such as gums that are red, tender, swollen or that bleed easily. The goal is to detect gingivitis and treat it before it progresses and causes harm to your gums and teeth.
But what if your dentist had a way to screen for a biomarker associated with periodontal disease much earlier – even before symptoms are visible?
Today, this is possible thanks to salivary diagnostics.
The saliva screening test, which takes 30 seconds to administer, looks for the presence of aMMP-8, short for activated matrix metalloproteinase 8. aMMP-8 is an enzyme that breaks down collagen, a protein in your mouth.
The results of the screening provide your dentist with a numerical read out based on the amount of aMMP-8 in your mouth. The higher the amount of aMMP-8, the more likely the presence of periodontal disease.1 That number is an “oral fitness score” that enables you and your dentist to determine an appropriate plan of action that may include treating periodontal disease, according to Dentognostics, a German biotech company that developed an aMMP-8 test being rolled out at some Smile Generation®-trusted offices.
Having a measurable insight into the health of our mouths can motivate people to take action— such as adopting better oral hygiene practices and complying with their dentist’s prescribed treatment.
“A study we did in the Netherlands showed that if people are screened, they immediately change their behavior in taking care of their teeth and gums,” said Dirk-Rolf Geiselmann, CEO of Dentognostics.1 “They do not want to run around with the inflammation. They want to do something about it. We found out that people get more healthy2 if they are getting screened.”
The screening also has the potential to be useful in evaluating and improving the health of your mouth if you have dental implants. This can reduce the risk of peri-implantitis, an inflammatory condition that affects the soft and hard gum tissues around dental implants.1
“If you can measure collagen breakdown in your mouth in real time, nobody would need to lose their teeth,” Geiselmann said.
“Because
if you measure it, you can do something about it.”
Disclosure: PDS Health® partnered with and made a major investment in Dentognostics to
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On TV The Mouth-Body Connection®
Smile Generation is proud to feature trusted dentists, Dr. Christopher Tolmie, DDS, and Dr. Zulema Valdivia, DDS, on Lifetime TV's The Balancing Act! They joined Montel Williams and Olga Villaverde for an insightful conversation about the Mouth-Body Connection. Learn how taking care of your smile can transform your well-being. Watch the full episode on
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The Smile Generation exists to connect you with trusted dentists in your area and to offer education on the critical link between oral and overall health. We’d love to know what you think of our magazine.
Sources
Trying for a Baby? Brush Your Teeth!
1. Birth defect and periodontal disease: National Lxibrary of Medicine
2. Infertility statistics: WWNO- New Orleans Public Radio
3. Women waiting longer to have children: United States Census Bureau
4. Fertility and Oral Health: National Library of Medicine
5. Lowered Sperm Count and Periodontitis: National Library of Medicine
6. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Inflammation: National Library of Medicine
7. PCOS and oral disease: National Library of Medicine
The Science of Saliva: An Early Warning System for Oral Health
1. National Library of Medicine
2. WileyOnlineLibrary