Some methods for saving your teeth
Bulimia and teeth NEW YORK (AP) – One more reason to encourage the young woman of the house to avoid the wafer-thin supermodel look: saving her teeth.
Dentists, it turns out, are on the front lines of discovering bulimia cases among their patients, most of them young women trying to look like movie stars or supermodels.
Bulimia is characterized by binge-eating followed by purging, usually vomiting.
When teeth are repeatedly bathed in stomach acid, the tooth’s enamel begins to erode, causing sensitivity, thinning and chipping.
“It may seem like ordinary tooth decay to that individual or their friends or family, but dental erosion from vomiting follows a different pattern that many dental professionals recognize,” said Dr. Brandon Huang, a New York dentist.
“Ordinary tooth decay occurs more often on the biting surface of the back teeth in the form of a crevice or hole. Dental erosion, however, occurs primarily on the inside of the front teeth, which eventually might cause them to appear rotted and crumbling, especially around the biting edges.”
Huang, who frequently lectures on issues relating to cosmetic dentistry, says the progressive damage caused by purging – sometimes as often as 40 times a day, dissolving the enamel and painfully exposing the yellow dentin layer underneath – is what finally brings the bulimic patient to the dentist.
By that time, it may be too late. “Once the dentin is exposed, the tooth is all but dead,” Huang said. “Since you can’t replace the enamel, the next step is often uncomfortable and invasive reconstructive dentistry.”
And if the patient still hasn’t dealt with the bulimia, the damage can continue even with the reconstructions. The acid eventually will disrupt and loosen the restorations, he said.
“Repairing teeth from the effects of bulimia is expensive, but it’s not a reason for which I ever want to see someone in my dental chair.”
He advises anyone with bulimia to see the doctor immediately to get treatment.
Even as treatment begins, the patient should discuss restoration options with the dentist, keeping in mind that once the enamel on the teeth is gone, it can’t be regenerated.
Even as the bulimic gets help, the patient needs to make sure she rinses her mouth with soda water or other bicarbonate immediately after vomiting. At the very least, she should rinse thoroughly with water.
If using a mouthwash, she should make sure it’s sugar-free. Because stomach acid softens the enamel, she should be careful about brushing after purging, using a soft-bristled brush with very gentle strokes. The patient also should avoid soft drinks or juices that contain a lot of acids, as these will promote further decay in already weakened teeth.
Drinking from sippy cups
CHICAGO (AP) – Longterm use of sippy cups – those spillproof tumblers for toddlers too old for a bottle but too young to manage regular cups – can put a child’s developing teeth at risk for decay.
The Journal of Dentistry for Children has published a study indicating that 29 percent of 186 children with baby bottle decay-like symptoms had been using sippy cups.
“While these findings are not surprising, the connection between baby-bottle tooth decay and sippy cups is very new, yet very logical,” says Dr. Cindi Sherwood, a Kansas dentist and spokeswoman for the Academy of General Dentistry.
A child using a sippy cup uses the same sucking action required in nursing, and during the process, the six upper front teeth are immersed in beverages, interfering with the neutralizing, cleansing and rinsing effect of saliva.
What’s even worse, parents are filling the cups with sweetened fruit juices and other sugary drinks.
Unsweetened juices, water and teas are best alternatives.
The American Academy of Pediatrics points out that fruit juices will promote tooth decay if a child is allowed to hold a bottle, cup or box of juice through the day.
“If left untreated, baby bottle tooth decay can result in pain and infection,” Sherwood says. “Severely decayed teeth may need to be extracted and could effect the development of permanent teeth, a child’s speech and chewing.”
Elderly and their teeth
CHICAGO (AP) – No, older people don’t always take their teeth out at night.
“People are living longer and maintaining their teeth for a longer period of time,” said Dr. Eric Z. Shapira, a California dentist and spokesman for the Academy of General Dentistry.
But with age comes a variety of conditions, especially periodontal disease and an inability to open the mouth wide for oral exams or brushing – which he attributes to arthritis.
Older people are more likely to suffer from gum and bone recession, dry mouth, brittle teeth, and the side effects of medications. “The older segment of the population on average takes more medication,” he said.
Electric toothbrushes and dental implants are among the weapons older people can use to maintain oral and dental health.
“The fastest growing segment of the population are those over 100. People are living longer due to technological advancements, and their teeth do benefit from these improvements.”
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On the Web: http://www.agd.org