Is Your Mouth Making You Sick?

A particularly dangerous myth, especially for the people who want to avoid the dentist, is that you don’t need to go to the dentist unless you are in pain. In this scenario, recurring dental problems become a self-perpetuating cycle. Here's the problem: there are a lot of diseases that present no discomfort in the early stages.  One that comes to mind immediately is gum disease.  In the early stages of gum disease you will have no pain. You might have a little tenderness, you may see a little pink coloration on your toothbrush, and your gums might bleed a little.  At later stages, when there is pain, the patient gets into trouble because the treatment options become much more drastic. If you want to avoid time spent in the dental chair this should be your mantra: prevention, prevention, prevention.

Don't think gum disease sounds serious?  This infographic shows the importance of treating gum disease as early as possible because of its effect on your overall health.  I think you’ll find it quite interesting.  For more information, go to www.DoctorBasil.com.

Double The Tooth Decay After Calgary Stops Fluoridating Water

Just three years after the city of Calgary stopped adding fluoride to its drinking supply, a study conducted by the University of Calgary found that children had double the amount of tooth decay than in the neighboring city of Edmonton which continued to fluoridate. Both cities are in the western province of Alberta, Canada.

Calgary’s city council decided to stop adding fluoride in 2011 partly because it would have cost $10 million to improve the system and maintenance would have cost one million dollars annually.  There was also protest by chemo-phobes who claimed that fluoride was a poisonous mineral that, while naturally occurring, should not be increased to the levels that would provide dental benefits.

The fact that Edmonton, in the same province, continued to add the chemical gave researchers a good opportunity to study the effects on cavities. They studied 5,000 Grade 2 students, usually around seven years old and still with baby teeth. After just three years, those in Calgary had double the tooth decay that they had when water was still fluoridated, and double the amount in Edmonton.  An author of the study, Professor Steven Patterson, a professor of dentistry at the University of Alberta, said, “It was a bit of a surprise to see that kind of difference so soon and see it significantly between the two communities.”  

The study was designed to insure that fluoride was the factor that made the difference.  I certainly believe it does.

And in case you were wondering, fluoride is poisonous...in the same way salt is poisonous.  Keep drinking fluoridated water.

How Does Connecticut's Dental Health Compare with the Rest of the Country?

The American Dental Association just released data comparing Connecticut's dental health to the rest of the country.  It seems a bit old, but I guess it takes a while to compile. Interesting!

www.DoctorBasil.com