Despite the fact that keeping our own teeth is preferable to dentures, implants or having a gaping hole where a tooth used to be, tooth loss is occuring at epidemic rates in America. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "an astonishing one-fourth of U.S. adults over 65 are completely toothless". The numbers are more sobering when you consider the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research report stating that 58% of Americans past age 50 have less than 21 of their original 32 teeth.
The main culprits are tooth decay and gum disease. So what can we do - at home - on a regular basis to improve our chances of beating the statistics? It's simple really. And a recent issue of AARP The Magazine offers some advice for cherishing your chompers:
- Break a sweat. Exercise may lower the risk of gum diease.
- Power up. Use a high-quality electric toothbrush with a small head.
- Go beyond floss. If your gums recede (as even healthy gums can), interproximal brushes, which look like tiny pipe cleaners, may work better than floss, which can miss plaque on a root.
- Wait to brush. It takes 30 minutes to an hour for saliva to neutralize the acids in foods.
- Watch your gums. Insits your dentist examine your gums with a probe. If the gum pocket surrounding a tooth is deeper than 3mm, you might have gum disease.
- Get off the bottle. Many bottled waters lack flouride. Consider adding a fliter to your tap instead.
- Wet your whistle. Teeth depend on saliva to remove microbes.
For the AARP full article, read Dental Implants.
Of course regular dental checkups are important too. And a good dentist may uncover early warnings of serious health concerns like heart disease or diabetes, and minimize the potential damage caused by these disases.
Holistic dentists often practice mercury and/or metal free dentistry. Many offer specific guidance on the use of flouride, mercury and metal poisoning, tooth meridians, and dental implant alternaiteves. For a list of reputable holistic dentists in the Portland/Vancouver areas, check The Redirect Guide. In Clark County, Dr. Larry Stryker is a patient, caring and informed mercury-free dentist. For an appointment, call 360.254.6411 to reach his Vancouver office, conveniently located near the Westfield Shoppingtown Center.
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