Health News
- Health Reform Law Isn't As Sweeping When It Comes To Dental Coverage, But Appalachian Dentists Say It Should Help
Dr. Heather Whitt explains costs to Anita Slone at the Eula Hall Health Center in Floyd County. (C-J photo by Jessica Ebelhar)In Floyd County, almost 40 percent of adults have lost six or more teeth to decay or gum disease, more than 50 percent of adults...
- Brushing Teeth Twice A Day, Two Minutes At A Time, Is The Way To Prevent Cavities, A New Campaign Advises
Kids should brush their teeth twice a day for two whole minutes at a time, a new public-service campaign urges. The ?Kids? Healthy Mouths? campaign includes TV spots, print ads, a website, social media messages and other materials, reports Jennifer LaRue...
- Tooth Varnish Saving Smiles In Clark County
To protect about 3,000 Clark County children from tooth decay, local dentists and volunteers headed to schools to apply a fluoride varnish earlier this month. "We knew this material worked, although it was a new material, and there wasn't a lot of...
- Summit And Local Groups Focus Attention On Oral Health, A Big Problem For Kentucky And One That Can Hurt Overall Health
By Sarah Vos and Al Cross Kentucky Health News When it comes to dental health, Kentucky is down in the mouth. It ranks among the worst in the nation, with high numbers of working adults who don?t have all their teeth, and a high percentage of children...
- Good Dental Health Habits Pay Off
Your mother was right. She told you to brush your teeth and floss after every meal. Mom was concerned about cavities, and maybe avoiding a big dental bill, but it turns out flossing and brushing your teeth can do more than prevent cavities. Good dental...
Health News
Evidence grows of links between oral health and overall health
"The eyes may be the window to the soul, but the mouth provides an even better view of the body as a whole," The Wall Street Journal's Melinda Beck writes in her Health Journal column. "Some of the earliest signs of diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, immune disorders, hormone imbalances and drug issues show up in the gums, teeth and tongue?sometimes long before a patient knows anything is wrong. There's also growing evidence that oral health problems, particularly gum disease, can harm a patient's general health as well, raising the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, pneumonia and pregnancy complications." (WSJ graphic; click on it for larger version)
Beck adds, "Such findings are fueling a push for dentists to play a greater role in patients' overall health. Some 20 million Americans ? including 6 percent of children and 9 percent of adults ? saw a dentist but not a doctor in 2008, according to a study in the American Journal of Public Health this month."
Beck urges her readers not to be fooled by shiny white teeth. "In fact, many dentists worry that people who whiten their teeth may have a false sense of complacency, since their teeth can still be harboring tooth decay and serious gum disease," she writs. "Even people who have no cavities can still have inflamed and infected gums." She quotes Mark Wolff, an associate dean at the New York University College of Dentistry: "Whiteness and the health of your teeth are totally unrelated." (Read more)
Beck urges her readers not to be fooled by shiny white teeth. "In fact, many dentists worry that people who whiten their teeth may have a false sense of complacency, since their teeth can still be harboring tooth decay and serious gum disease," she writs. "Even people who have no cavities can still have inflamed and infected gums." She quotes Mark Wolff, an associate dean at the New York University College of Dentistry: "Whiteness and the health of your teeth are totally unrelated." (Read more)
- Health Reform Law Isn't As Sweeping When It Comes To Dental Coverage, But Appalachian Dentists Say It Should Help
Dr. Heather Whitt explains costs to Anita Slone at the Eula Hall Health Center in Floyd County. (C-J photo by Jessica Ebelhar)In Floyd County, almost 40 percent of adults have lost six or more teeth to decay or gum disease, more than 50 percent of adults...
- Brushing Teeth Twice A Day, Two Minutes At A Time, Is The Way To Prevent Cavities, A New Campaign Advises
Kids should brush their teeth twice a day for two whole minutes at a time, a new public-service campaign urges. The ?Kids? Healthy Mouths? campaign includes TV spots, print ads, a website, social media messages and other materials, reports Jennifer LaRue...
- Tooth Varnish Saving Smiles In Clark County
To protect about 3,000 Clark County children from tooth decay, local dentists and volunteers headed to schools to apply a fluoride varnish earlier this month. "We knew this material worked, although it was a new material, and there wasn't a lot of...
- Summit And Local Groups Focus Attention On Oral Health, A Big Problem For Kentucky And One That Can Hurt Overall Health
By Sarah Vos and Al Cross Kentucky Health News When it comes to dental health, Kentucky is down in the mouth. It ranks among the worst in the nation, with high numbers of working adults who don?t have all their teeth, and a high percentage of children...
- Good Dental Health Habits Pay Off
Your mother was right. She told you to brush your teeth and floss after every meal. Mom was concerned about cavities, and maybe avoiding a big dental bill, but it turns out flossing and brushing your teeth can do more than prevent cavities. Good dental...