The effects of bulimia are detrimental and range from physical, emotional, psychological, social, financial, and more. In comparison to anorexia, the physical effects of bulimia may not be as prominent or obvious.
Dental Damage Is a Common Side Effect:
One of the more detrimental and common side effects of bulimia involves dental damage. The negative ways in which teeth are impacted by bulimia is often overshadowed by other major health consequences, such as cardiovascular complications, electrolyte imbalances, gastrointestinal distress, and bone loss.
A Diagnosis By Dentist:
While teeth may not seem to be the first indicator of an eating disorder, many individuals are diagnosed by their dentists, who often are the initial responder to the dental symptoms arising from bulimia.
Dental practitioners can be an instrumental health professional in identifying the early signs of bulimia, which are often displayed in a person’s mouth and in the condition of their teeth.
In some instances, an individual can live with bulimia for years before receiving help or being officially diagnosed with this mental health disorder.
Dental Problems Can Be a Huge Problem:
The resulting damage to the mouth and teeth can often be the first telling sign of a chronic eating disorder. The quality of life that a person suffering from bulimia will have can be severely hampered with dental/oral disorders.
Many may find it difficult or painful to chew or swallow, while some may suffer from broken or missing teeth. Untreated cavities could lead to more serious health conditions, and bleeding gums could be reflective of periodontal disease.
The Underlying Cause Needs to Be Treated:
While the short-term solution may be to treat the dental conditions that are present, such as filling cavities, repairing broken teeth, caring for gums, etc; the long-term solution is to seek the appropriate treatment that is needed for bulimia.
Dental disorders are serious issues that must be cared for by an appropriate specialist, but the repairs can only go so far if a person continues to purge on a regular basis.
Bulimia Can Be Treated:
Bulimia is indeed a severe psychiatric illness that can impact your life, individuality, security, and self-esteem in ways you never thought possible. It can feel overwhelming to know how your recovery journey might unfold or how your body might be restored from the damage of bulimia.
The beauty of recovery is that it progresses day by day, as you become strengthened apart from the eating disorder.
Talk with Professionals to Get Help:
Talk with your dentist about your dental concerns, and take the step towards receiving comprehensive treatment for bulimia recovery. While restorative dental work will certainly be a step of healing from bulimia, you can effectively address the heart of the eating disorder by obtaining complete care for your body and mind as well.
This will involve the collaborative work of a medical physician, therapist, dietitian, and psychiatrist, who can work together to ensure that you are recovering fully from bulimia nervosa.
You probably use your toothbrush every day to scrub plaque and bacteria off the surface of your teeth and tongue. While your mouth is left much cleaner after a thorough brushing, your toothbrush now carries the germs and residue from your mouth.
Your toothbrush is also probably stored in the bathroom, where bacteria can linger in the air.
Run hot water over it before and after each use:
The most basic go-to method of sanitizing your toothbrush is to run hot water over the bristles before and after each use. This gets rid of bacteria that may have collected on the toothbrush in the hours between brushings. It also eliminates new bacteria which may have accumulated after each use.
Soak it in antibacterial mouthwash:
If a hot water rinse isn’t enough to give you peace of mind, you can soak your toothbrush in antibacterial mouthwash. Keep in mind that doing this may wear out your toothbrush faster, as these mouthwashes usually contain harsh ingredients that make bristles break down.
This method involves letting your toothbrush sit, head down, in a small cup of mouthwash for about 2 minutes after each brushing.
UV toothbrush sanitizer:
You can also invest in an ultraviolet (UV) light sanitizer product made specially for toothbrushes.
How to keep a toothbrush clean:
Once your toothbrush has been disinfected, you can take steps to keep it clean. Storing your toothbrush correctly is probably as important as cleaning it after use. Store it in hydrogen peroxide solution that’s changed daily.
A 2011 study showed that keeping your toothbrush in a small cup of hydrogen peroxide is an economical way to keep bacterial growth to a minimum. Swap out the hydrogen peroxide each day before putting your toothbrush down, bristles first, into the cup.
Use a toothpaste dispenser:
When you apply toothpaste to your toothbrush, there’s always a chance that your toothbrush and the toothpaste tube will make contact and transfer bacteria.
You can use a toothpaste pump dispenser to reduce this risk of cross contamination.
When to replace your toothbrush:
Sometimes the best way to make sure you’re using a clean toothbrush is to simply replace it. As a general rule, you should replace your toothbrush or toothbrush head every 3 to 4 months.
You should also throw away your toothbrush in each of the following circumstances:
The bristles are worn out. If the bristles appear bent or frayed, your toothbrush can’t clean your teeth as effectively. Someone in your household is sick. If you or anyone in your household has had a contagious disease, such as strep throat or the flu, continuing to use your toothbrush can spread infectionTrusted Source.
You’ve shared your toothbrush. If someone else has used your toothbrush, there’s no way you can completely disinfect it. Everyone’s mouth flora is unique, and you shouldn’t be scrubbing your mouth with bacteria from someone else.
Takeaway:
Your toothbrush can harbor bacteria from your mouth. These bacteria can multiply if your toothbrush isn’t properly disinfected. Without proper disinfection, you’re trying to clean your mouth with a dirty toothbrush.
Cleaning your toothbrush with hot water between uses is probably enough for most people to feel that their toothbrush is sufficiently disinfected.
Yoga offers many perks—from increasing flexibility to building strength and reducing strength. But, did you know yoga also benefits oral health?
Here’s how yoga benefits oral health:
Yoga reduces inflammation which may reduce your risk for gum disease. It works like this: high stress levels lead to increased cortisol (the stress hormone) production which can worsen swelling in your gums. Gum swelling can increase your risk for gum disease. Yoga is proven to reduce stress levels, leading to lower inflammatory responses like swelling.
Yoga reduces jaw pain by promoting better posture. Slouching causes our heads to fall forward and out of alignment with our spine. This misalignment can affect your bite and lead to discomfort in your jaw. Chronic jaw pain is linked to temporomandibular disorder, or TMD. TMD impacts your ability to eat, talk and sleep. Yoga poses help get your body back into proper alignment.
Yoga stimulates saliva which naturally washes away harmful mouth bacteria. Certain types of yoga, like vinyasa yoga, incorporate special breathing techniques which can stimulate saliva production. Saliva is important. Not only does it wash away harmful bacteria, but it also helps fight bad breath.
It’s no wonder yogis have been promoting the benefits of yoga for centuries. It truly is good for your overall health, smile included.
If you’re having specific oral health problems, talk to your dentist. They’ll help put you on the path to your healthiest smile.
Thyroid hormone imbalance is behind several mouth and dental health issues.
Burning Mouth Syndrome:
Some thyroid patients, especially middle-aged women or women in menopause, develop Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS). As the name suggests, BMS is characterized by a burning sensation on the tongue or the lips or involving the whole mouth. It may be accompanied by a bitter or metallic taste. Treatment for thyroid disease can improve the symptoms of BMS.
Dry Mouth:
Decreased saliva production sometimes accompanies thyroid disease. Dry mouth may appear on its own or it may be caused by another autoimmune disease that accompanies thyroid problems, such as Sjogren’s syndrome. Dry mouth itself can be an uncomfortable condition, but it also causes increased incidences of mouth sores, tooth decay, and difficulty swallowing. Taking medication to balance thyroid hormone levels may reduce dry mouth symptoms. If you still experience problems, your dentist can recommend both over-the-counter and prescription medications to treat dry mouth.
Special Concerns: Hypothyroidism
Patients with hypothyroidism, also known as underactive thyroid, may experience macroglossia (enlargement of the tongue), gum disease, slow healing of mouth sores, and, in children, delayed tooth growth. Problems with hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) are common in patients with underactive thyroids and can cause an increased risk of mouth and tooth infections.
Special Concerns: Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid, brings a different set of mouth and dental risks. Increased cavity development, enlarged extra glandular thyroid tissue at the back of the tongue and in the throat, rapid tooth growth in children, and osteoporosis in the jaw are all risk factors. The incidence of BMS is higher in hyperthyroid patients than in hypothyroid patients, as is the rate of Sjogren’s syndrome.
Talking to Your Dentist:
If you have thyroid disease, it is important to get regular dental checkups and to talk to your dentist about your thyroid problem. Medications associated with secondary conditions of thyroid disease, such as heart problems, may affect the way you respond to anesthesia and may impact how your blood clots. Your dentist needs to know about these risks before performing any procedures. Likewise, when your dentist is aware of your thyroid disease, they can become a partner in helping you manage it. Hormone imbalance symptoms can be obvious to them when they are examining you, and they can alert you when it seems like you need to pay a visit to your primary care doctor to have your thyroid-hormone levels checked.
The latest study showed that sharing a toothbrush, toothpaste, the same container for the brush and not changing the brush after the viral process, are all possible routes of cross-contamination of coronavirus.
The investigation monitored hundreds of families over the course of 15 days and found over half (55%) of COVID-positive people who share a toothbrush passed the virus onto other family members in the household.
Latest figures collected by the charity show that around one-in-four (26%) Brits are openly willing the share their toothbrush with others.
Dr Nigel Carter OBE, Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation, believes oral hygiene habits like sharing toothbrushes are linked to the transmission of many diseases and should be discouraged.
Dr Carter says: “There are many hundreds of different bacteria and viruses in our mouths and those sharing a toothbrush could be passing these on to others.
“While this might be something relatively harmless, such as a common cold or cold sore, if the person you are sharing with is infected with viruses like hepatitis B and now coronavirus, these could also be passed on via the toothbrush, with severe health consequences.”
In addition to sharing a toothbrush, the research published in BMC Oral Health, discovered an even greater risk for families leaving their toothbrushes in the same container. Two-in-three (66%) people who tested positive for coronavirus and who share a toothbrush container with family members, passed the virus on to them.
Further findings showed the same tube of toothpaste should also not be used between members of the same family, as this is another way of facilitating cross-contamination. Households with a COVID-positive member increase their risk of spreading the virus by almost a third (30%) if they share the same tube of toothpaste.
The study also found that people who disinfect their brush in an antibacterial mouthwash reduce their chances of passing the virus onto family members in the household by more than a third (39%).
“Storing toothbrushes in the same container has always been a bad idea, but today this separation has become a real necessity,” adds Dr Carter. “This is especially important if a person has the virus without the symptoms, as they could be unknowingly spreading the virus to loved ones.
“It is important to store your toothbrush away from others, in a dry place and with the brush head pointing upwards. This allows the bristles to dry faster and hinders the spread of any virus or bacteria that may be lingering on the brush. If you know you are infected, soaking your brush in an antibacterial mouthwash after brushing could also help kill any bacteria and viruses on the toothbrush.”
In the same investigation, more than half (54%) of those who did not change their toothbrush after being tested positive for COVID-19, passed the virus on to other people in their household.
The Oral Health Foundation usually recommends changing your toothbrush or brush head every three months, or when the bristles become worn. The charity is now advising anybody who has had coronavirus, or symptoms of the virus, to change their toothbrush.
Dr Carter says: “As a population we are taking unprecedented measures, both personally and professionally, to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Changing the toothbrush, along with other simple oral hygiene actions, are relatively easy steps you can take to reduce possible spread of the COVID-19.”
The study also found that tongue cleaning was the most effective oral hygiene habit in reducing the spread of the virus.
The paper noted that mouth is an early target of infection for COVID-19, especially the tongue, which is a great reservoir of viral germs.
The authors of the study believe that if effectively implemented, hygiene in the home and in daily life has the potential to reduce infection rates and antibiotic consumption.
Tooth brushing, interdental cleaning and tongue cleaning are all deemed essential in order to reduce the presence of the virus in the mouth.
Many Americans today enjoy excellent oral health and are keeping their natural teeth throughout their lives. But this is not the case for everyone. Cavities are still the most prevalent chronic disease of childhood.
Too many people mistakenly believe that they need to see a dentist only if they are in pain or think something is wrong, but they're missing the bigger picture. A dental visit means being examined by a doctor of oral health capable of diagnosing and treating conditions that can range from routine to extremely complex.
A Team Approach
The team approach to dentistry promotes continuity of care that is comprehensive, convenient, cost effective and efficient. Members of the team include dental assistants, lab technicians and dental hygienists. Leading the team is the dentist, a doctor specializing in oral health who has earned either a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree or a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree, which are essentially the same.
The Dentist's Role
Dentists are doctors who specialize in oral health. Their responsibilities include:
Diagnosing oral diseases, Promoting oral health and disease prevention, Creating treatment plans to maintain or restore the oral health of their patients, Interpreting x-rays and diagnostic tests, Ensuring the safe administration of anesthetics, Monitoring growth and development of the teeth and jaws, Performing surgical procedures on the teeth, bone and soft tissues of the oral cavity.
More than Just Teeth and Gums
Dentists' areas of care include not only their patients' teeth and gums but also the muscles of the head, neck and jaw, the tongue, salivary glands, the nervous system of the head and neck and other areas. During a comprehensive exam, dentists examine the teeth and gums, but they also look for lumps, swellings, discolorations, ulcerations — any abnormality. When appropriate, they perform procedures such as biopsies, diagnostic tests for chronic or infectious diseases, salivary gland function, and screening tests for oral cancer.
In addition, dentists can spot early warning signs in the mouth that may indicate disease elsewhere in the body. Dentists' training also enables them to recognize situations that warrant referring patients for care by dental specialists or physicians.
Education and Clinical Training
The level of education and clinical training required to earn a dental degree, and the high academic standards of dental schools, are on par with those of medical schools and are essential to preparing dentists for the safe and effective practice of modern oral health care.
Most dental students have earned Bachelor of Science degrees or their equivalent, and all have passed rigorous admission examinations.
The curricula during the first two years of dental and medical schools are essentially the same — students must complete such biomedical science courses as anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, immunology and pathology. During the second two years, dental students' coursework focuses on clinical practice — diagnosing and treating oral diseases.
Why Oral Health Matters
Numerous recent scientific studies indicate associations between oral health and a variety of general health conditions — including diabetes and heart disease. In response, the World Health Organization has integrated oral health into its chronic disease prevention efforts "as the risks to health are linked."
The American Dental Association recommends that dental visits begin no later than a child's first birthday to establish a "dental home." Dentists can provide guidance to children and parents, deliver preventive oral health services, and diagnose and treat dental disease in its earliest stages.
Dentists' areas of care include not only their patients' teeth and gums but also the muscles of the head, neck and jaw, the tongue, salivary glands, the nervous system of the head and neck and other areas.
Despite the importance of regular dental check-ups being common knowledge, approximately 30% of the population experience dental anxiety, according to the National Institutes of Health. Additionally, 12% of Americans live with extreme dental fear, which can have a detrimental impact on their overall dental health. Thankfully, there are a number of ways to overcome dental phobia. These include making use of a range of breathing techniques, seeking out a dentist who specializes in dental phobias, and taking a trusted person along to your appointment for moral support. While these techniques may all help an anxious patient feel more at ease, chances are the dental practice is also harnessing an age-old technique to help all patients relax: artwork.
Art is a welcome distraction:
Despite the wonderful work practitioners do, a dental practice may appear to be a cold, sterile and scary place. The careful placement of cheerful and calming art pieces can serve as a very welcome distraction to nervous patients of all ages. Research has found that viewing art can help relieve the symptoms of depression and anxiety. According to a study conducted at the University of Westminster, viewing art for as little as 30 minutes can lower the concentration of the stress hormone, cortisol, in the body. This will not only result in a calmer, happier overall mood, but in a possible decreased perception of pain as well.
Murals and wall art for young and old:
It is believed that works of art depicting beautiful landscapes and human faces can have a particularly calming effect on adults. When viewing portraits, for instance, the viewer will feel something similar to the mix of calm and concentration you experience when doodling facial features like eyes and lips. Similarly, paintings and prints that exude love and happiness can also help negate any negative feelings towards dental hygiene. Children may benefit exponentially from look-and-find murals and cartoon-like ceiling art that will keep their young minds distracted. Fun yet informative murals can also be used to not only engage a patient, but to provide them with valuable information about the importance of dental health as well.
The dental team will benefit too:
Apart from brightening up the dental practice interior and putting the minds of anxious patients at ease, art can also be of benefit to the practice employees. There is no denying that the dental industry can be extremely stressful, especially when faced with the myriad of additional stressors 2020 has dished up. Being surrounded by relaxing artwork can help the dental team relax as well during a period when emotions are undoubtedly still running high. Being in close proximity to art can also boost productivity, decreasing errors while boosting the overall effectiveness of the staff.
Art can be used with great success to calm down nervous visitors to a dental practice. Additionally, it can also boost the aesthetic value of the practice, while simultaneously improving the productivity of the staff.
Sjögren's syndrome is a systemic autoimmune disease affecting approximately 3 million Americans, primarily perimenopausal women.
The syndrome is characterized by dysfunction and destruction of exocrine glands leading to oral and ocular manifestations, xerostomia and keratitis sicca.
Sjögren's syndrome commonly remains either undiagnosed or is diagnosed years after the onset of symptoms. Diagnosis is based on the concurrent presence of various signs and symptoms of the disease as established by 6 diagnostic standards set by the American European Consensus Group standards: oral symptoms, ocular symptoms, evidence of oral signs, evidence of ocular dryness, evidence of salivary gland involvement with positive Anti-Ro/La autoantibodies and a positive gland biopsy.
Currently no definitive test or cure exists; treatment is predominately palliative and supportive.
With an aging population and heavier reliance on medications and treatments which cause xerostomia, oral health professionals are likely to encounter a higher incidence of xerostomia and Sjögren's syndrome more than ever before.
The dental professional must recognize the signs and symptoms of xerostomia, include Sjögren's syndrome in their differential diagnosis, and communicate those findings and concerns to other health care providers, including the primary care physician, rheumatologist and ophthalmologist for evaluation in a timely fashion.
This article discusses the dental professional's role in formulating a preventive oral health plan: meticulous oral hygiene instructions, dietary counseling, a complement of chemotherapeutic agents and more frequent recall care to avoid oral complications and improve quality of life. Dental hygienists can help patients understand the wide range of products available to substitute or stimulate salivary flow, prevent or remineralize early carious lesions and relieve candidal and bacterial infections.
Ultimately this collaboration of care by the dental and medical professionals will benefit the Sjögren's syndrome patient and lead to better patient outcomes.
(12/04/2020) by National Center for Biotechnology Information
We get it – sometimes, we sacrifice our health for appearance. High heeled shoes look great, but can cause permanent foot problems. Using heat to dry, curl or straighten hair can damage it, but many people do it every day.
Oral piercings in your lip or tongue can display your originality but, unfortunately, they can damage your teeth and gums. So, what do you do if your or your child’s oral piercing is causing dental problems?
How Oral Piercings Damage Oral Health?
Piercings are popular and typically benign. Sure, sometimes a piercing may get infected and it’s not uncommon for a large earring to snag on clothes but, for the most part, they don’t cause long-term damage.
Oral piercings are an exception.
Bruxism and clenching your teeth can wear them down over time. Similarly, a piercing that presses against your gums, palate or teeth all day can wear down oral health, too. In a study out of Switzerland, people with tongue piercings experienced more instances of gum disease. Those with tongue piercings were more likely to experience bleeding, receding or inflamed gums than their non-pierced counterparts.
A small-scale study out of Belgium focused on two women with tongue piercings, who experienced recurrences of gum damage due to the constant pressure the piercings put on their teeth and gums.
A dentist involved with the Belgian study reported that people with piercings frequently “played with” the piercing, constantly moving it against their tongue, gums and teeth, which can wear down enamel, irritate gums, and even lead to cracks or chips in the teeth.
Another way oral piercings damage your oral health is that they can encourage bad bacteria to grow. Brushing and flossing, in addition to regular visits to the dentist, are sometimes not enough to keep bad bacteria at bay. By having an oral piercing, you’ve created another small area for bacteria to grow and multiply, introducing more room for problems.
How to Prevent Oral Damage from Piercings?
If you have an oral piercing and you’re experiencing wear and tear on your teeth, gums or tongue, it may be time to make a tough decision. Of course, breaking the habit of pressing your tongue or lips into the piercing can lower your risk of oral damage, but it’s not a surefire way to prevent issues.
As you talk, chew or move your lips or tongue, the piercing will naturally rub and tap against your mouth. Unfortunately, that means your best option is to remove the piercing altogether. If you’re not ready to do that, you must maintain immaculate oral health by brushing twice daily and flossing once a day, in addition to your biannual visits to your dentist.
Don’t Let Anything Get Between You and Good Oral Health
The first signs of leukemia show up in an unexpected place: the mouth. In fact, a dentist may be the first doctor to detect the cancer.
Leukemia, as well as subsequent chemotherapy, has a distinct effect on dental health, which means that dental hygiene should be a priority when you’re fighting the disease. There are several dental symptoms to look out for when you have leukemia, as well as ways to prevent any problems.
How Leukemia Affects Dental Health:
One of the first signs of leukemia can be gingivitis, or swelling and bleeding gums, says Sol Silverman, Jr., DDS, national spokesman for the American Dental Association and professor of oral medicine at the University of California San Francisco School of Dentistry.
When a patient has gingivitis, combined with feeling weak and losing weight for no apparent reason, Dr. Silverman will run blood tests for leukemia. If they come back positive, he’ll refer them to an oncologist for confirmation of the diagnosis and for treatment.
Doctors don’t know exactly why leukemia affects the mouth this way, but some speculate that it could be due to how the disease alters the immune system. Your mouth may also become more sensitive and it’s more susceptible to infections from bacteria that originate in the mouth, he says. And if someone is experiencing nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, the acidity of the vomit in the mouth can cause problems with the teeth.
Protecting Your Mouth:
You can prevent these problems with good dental hygiene, and there are some things you can do to help with a sore or sensitive mouth, Silverman says. Here’s how:
Get dental work before treatment. Because chemotherapy can cause bleeding, it’s best to get any dental work you need before you start treatment, Silverman says. So be sure to keep your dentist informed of your diagnosis and your treatment schedule. At the same time, it’s important to let your physician know about your dental care, Silverman stresses.
Keep up with dental appointments during Leukemia treatment. Continue to see your dentist for cleanings while you have leukemia and during treatment to keep your mouth healthy.
Be diligent about brushing and flossing at home. To keep your mouth in tip-top shape, brush and floss in the morning, before bed, and after meals, Silverman says.
Use gentle brushes or a sponge. Your mouth will probably bleed more easily during chemotherapy, so use a gentle toothbrush and take care not to cut your gums when you floss. Chemotherapy can also cause a sore and sensitive mouth, called mucositis, which is like having sunburn in your mouth, Silverman explains. It usually happens about four to seven days after treatment. When your mouth becomes too sensitive for your toothbrush, try using dental sponges, which you can buy at a pharmacy, to brush your teeth, Silverman suggests.
Use rinses regularly. Silverman also recommends rinsing your mouth during the day with an antiseptic mouth rinse (which you can buy over-the-counter or get through a prescription from a doctor) or with your own solution of warm water and salt or warm water and baking soda. How often you do it depends on how many problems you’re having, Silverman says. If you’re having mouth problems, you may want to rinse your mouth four times a day, including after meals. “It can’t be overdone,” he says.
Treat infections promptly. If you do develop an infection in your mouth, be sure to see your doctor and get treated with an antibiotic, Silverman says.
The health of your mouth is something to take seriously when you have leukemia, and staying on top of your dental hygiene can prevent problems like infection.
