The SafeGuard Chronicle Dental Articles

From The Mayo Clinic February, 2007

Oral health: A window to your overall health

Gum disease can let bacteria enter your bloodstream and wreak havoc elsewhere in your body. Or sometimes, signs of a disease may first show up in your mouth. While the eyes may be the window to the soul, your mouth is a window to your body's health. The state of your oral health can offer lots of clues about your overall health. Oral health and overall health are more connected than you might realize. (Full article)

From The National Center For Health Statistics April, 2007

Tooth decay on the rise for pre-school children

Americans of all ages continue to experience improvements in their oral health. However, tooth decay in primary (baby) teeth increased among children aged 2 to 5 years, according to a report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Based on data from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, the report, “Trends in Oral Health Status—United States, 1988–1994 and 1999–2004,” represents the most comprehensive assessment of oral health data available for the U.S. population to date. (Full press release)

From The Washington Post February, 2007

For Want of a Dentist

Twelve-year-old Deamonte Driver died of a toothache Sunday. A routine, $80 tooth extraction might have saved him. If his mother had been insured. If his family had not lost its Medicaid. If Medicaid dentists weren't so hard to find.

By the time Deamonte's own aching tooth got any attention, the bacteria from the abscess had spread to his brain, doctors said. After two operations and more than six weeks of hospital care, the Prince George's County boy died. Deamonte's death and the ultimate cost of his care, which could total more than $250,000, underscore an often-overlooked concern in the debate over universal health coverage: dental care. (Full article)

From The American Academy of Periodontology March, 2005

Baby Steps to a Healthy Pregnancy and On-Time Delivery

How does pregnancy affect your teeth and gums? About half of women experience pregnancy gingivitis. This condition can be uncomfortable and cause swelling, bleeding, redness or tenderness in the gum tissue. Conversely, a more advanced oral health condition called periodontal disease (a serious gum infection that destroys attachment fibers and supporting bone that hold teeth in the mouth) may affect the health of your baby. (Full article)

From the Los Angeles Times April, 2007
(courtesy of AHIP-Health Decisions.org)

When Gums Speak Volumes

Gustavo Rodriguez had expected numerous physical exams and blood tests before checking into the hospital last July for a long-awaited kidney transplant. But he was bewildered when told to see a dentist. "My gums were really bad, but I didn't know that mattered," says Rodriguez, 26, of Long Beach. "They said I had to be bacteria-free before my surgery. I learned a lot ... like every little thing in your body counts." (Full article)

From The Surgeon General of the United States May, 2000

Oral Health In America: A Report of the Surgeon General

The terms oral health and general health should not be interpreted as separate entities. Oral health is integral to general health; this report provides important reminders that oral health means more than healthy teeth and that you cannot be healthy without oral health. Further, the report outlines existing safe and effective disease prevention measures that everyone can adopt to improve oral health and prevent disease. (Full report)

From The American Academy of Periodontology April, 2007

Small Bacteria–Big Impact

Two studies look at the possible connection periodontal bacteria may have with other systemic conditions. Two new studies in the Journal of Periodontology explore the possible link between periodontal bacteria and coronary artery disease as well as periodontal bacteria and preeclampsia. These studies found that periodontal bacteria, which is often invisible to the naked eye, may account for big effects on general health conditions. (Full article)