The Connection Between Gum Disease and Cirrhosis

More research comes out every week about the importance of oral health. That’s hardly a surprise to us at Alta Loma Dental Care, but we’re happy to see the effects of gum disease getting more attention. A new study examined the relationship between gingivitis and cirrhosis and found that periodontal therapy can have some unexpected benefits.

When the liver is healthy, it filters toxic substances out of our blood. But when it is chronically inflamed, it can develop scar tissue that prevents it from doing its job. The body will suffer widespread inflammation as a result, including in the brain, which can result in mood swings and a loss of cognitive function. Liver disease and gum disease can both be caused by smoking and excessive alcohol, so it is unsurprising that they would often be present in the same people. But gum disease is also common in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, despite their not seeming to share a common etiology.

To study the connection, researchers divided people with both diseases into a group that received gum disease treatment immediately and one that received it later. They found that when the patients were treated, their cirrhosis symptoms also significantly improved compared to the control group. Their cognition was better, and they had higher counts of gut bacteria that prevent inflammation. Scientists are still working out the exact relationship, but they’ve also found bacteria that cause gum disease in the liver. We hope our patients will take this research as evidence of how beneficial regular cleanings can be.

Alta Loma Dental Care is at 7283 Carnelian St, Alta Loma, California, 91701. To schedule an appointment, call 909-987-6268 or visit Alta Loma Dental Care and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Car Crashes: A Risk of Sleep Apnea

The dentists of Alta Loma Dental Care provide assistance to patients with sleep apnea as well as other oral health concerns. Although Americans are sadly accustomed to going without sleep, new data demonstrates why this is dangerous. According to a recent study, sleep apnea is a significant contributor to car crashes.

It makes sense that sleep deprivation would be a contributor to car crashes, but this is one of the few studies to look at obstructive sleep apnea independently of sleep duration. People with obstructive sleep apnea wake up or otherwise experience disrupted sleep throughout the night, resulting in them being fatigued the following day. Research indicated that mild and moderate sleep apnea increased the risk of a crash by 13% and severe sleep apnea increased the risk by 123%. Furthermore, sleep-deprived people often misjudge the severity of their impairment.

The American Sleep Apnea Association considers it safe for people with sleep apnea to drive if they are being successfully treated. Our office can help people with obstructive sleep apnea to get better rest by providing custom-fitted night guards that will keep the patient’s airways open while lying down. Night guards will also prevent dental damage caused by nighttime teeth grinding.

Alta Loma Dental Care is at 7283 Carnelian St, Alta Loma, California, 91701. To schedule an appointment, call 909-987-6268 or visit Alta Loma Dental Care and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Link Established between Alcohol and Oral Cancer

At Alta Loma Dental Care, we’re dedicated to combatting oral pathology. To assist our patients’ preventive care, we wanted to pass along the findings of a new study by the American Society of Clinical Oncology linking oral cancer to alcohol.

Most previous studies of oral cancer did not assess alcohol as a causative factor separately from smoking. According to the study, most people are unaware that alcohol alone causes cancer, despite that it can be linked to 5% of all new cancers globally, including those of the oral cavity and throat. The study also found that even light and moderate drinkers are at risk and that the type of alcohol they drank made no difference (meaning that beer is not safer than hard liquor in this particular regard).

We help to provide oral cancer patients with treatments for medication side effects such as dry mouth, but alcohol can interfere with treatments. There was some good news: when people stopped drinking, their risk of developing mouth and throat cancer declined.

Alta Loma Dental Care is at 7283 Carnelian St, Alta Loma, California, 91701. To schedule an appointment, call 909-987-6268 or visit Alta Loma Dental Care and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Why Would a Filling Wear Out?

In the past, we’ve discussed how we take care to ensure that patients at Alta Loma Dental Care will know whether there’s a problem with their fillings. This week, we want to pass along some new research that examined the causes of filling failure and how to guard against it.

Smoking and alcohol were found to be major contributors to filling failure. The study only examined the rates of filling failure among male smokers, but failure was more common for them after just two years (fillings usually last for about ten) and in people who drank alcohol of both sexes. People who came from families with a history of failed dental fillings also had a higher failure rate, which suggests that there may be a hereditary factor. For these people, it is especially important to maintain oral hygiene and regular appointments, where we will test whether their fillings need to be replaced.

The study also had some good news. It seems that the new white fillings made of resin composites work just as well as amalgam ones. This is encouraging because amalgam’s silvery-grey color was dissatisfying to patients who wanted their teeth to look natural and because some people complained the metal became too hot or cold.

Alta Loma Dental Care is at 7283 Carnelian St, Alta Loma, California, 91701. To schedule an appointment, call 909-987-6268 or visit Alta Loma Dental Care and fill out a contact sheet.