2010 June
Many recent studies have linked gum disease to other health problems. Pregnant mothers are always very concerned with improving their chances of giving birth to a healthy baby. Here’s a simple way to do so.
A University of Pennsylvania study of 160 pregnant women with gum disease found that successful treatment lowered the rate of premature delivery from 23 percent to just 7 percent. In other words, expectant mothers with gum disease have a much better chance of avoiding premature birth if they keep their gums healthy.
Gum disease releases bacteria that can lead to early labor. Having regular professional cleanings removes these bacteria. It’s really that simple.
A recent article in the June, 2010 edition of The Journal of The American Dental Association, discusses the use of tooth bleaching agents to improve the oral health of patients with special care needs. Basically, we are talking about patients who are unable to brush and floss their teeth properly due to physical or mental issues. These patients may also be highly prone to decay due to low salivary flow (dry mouth) caused by age and/or medication side effects.
Tooth decay occurs when the pH of dental plaque and saliva reach a certain level of acidity. In a healthy patient with good salivary flow and good oral hygiene, decay is not a problem because plaque does not sit on the teeth long enough to cause cavities and the saliva neutralizes the acid and helps to wash it away. Patients with poor oral hygiene or poor salivary flow are very susceptible to tooth decay (cavities).
It now appears that certain tooth bleaching materials may actually reduce cavity rates and improve gum health.
The most commonly used tooth bleaching agent is a chemical called carbamide peroxide. Besides causing the teeth to lighten, one of the side effects of a 10% carbamide peroxide bleaching gel is to decrease the acidity of dental plaque and saliva. Carbamide peroxide breaks down in the mouth into urea and hydrogen peroxide. The release of urea is what changes the pH of saliva and plaque. The hydrogen peroxide which is released delivers the antimicrobial effect.
Some bleaching agents contain only hydrogen peroxide. While they are effective for tooth whitening, they do not have the same decay preventing effect as carbamide peroxide because they do not release urea. Urea is the chemical that reduces the acidity which causes decay..
The safety and effectiveness of tooth bleaching by means of application of 10% carbamide peroxide using a custom tray are thoroughly documented. Long term use has also been shown to be safe and effective. The only known negative side effect is occasional tooth sensitivity. This is usually easy to control and causes no long term problem for the teeth.
While more research is needed, it appears tooth bleaching (using carbamide peroxide) may have a dual beneficial effect for decay prone patients. Of course, for those patients considering tooth whitening for it’s cosmetic effects, it’s nice to know that bleaching has beneficial secondary effects.
