Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 17, 1995 TAG: 9505170058
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The mouth often plays second fiddle to the rest of the body when it comes to getting attention, and the consequences show up in lost work time as well as in dentures-in-a-glass on the bedside table.
Dental-related illnesses accounted for more than 20.5 million lost workdays in 1991. The effect is the same as if 164,000 workers were off all year, according to Delta Dental Plans Association.
About 60 percent of people aged 25-64 see a dentist each year. For those older than 65, the number drops to about 40 percent.
National Employee Health Fitness Day and National Smile Week converge today, so it seems timely to discuss some changes that have occurred and some that need to happen to increase the number of healthy mouths.
The major change is that cavities in children no longer are the issue in areas where fluoride has been added to water.
"If you see a child now with lots of cavities, you wonder where that child has been," said Dr. Robert Goodwin, a dentist who has practiced in the Roanoke Valley for 30 years.
Goodwin says he has a well-educated group of patients who for the most part "make a good effort" to take care of their mouths. However, even some of his patients "only come when they have something that bothers them," he said.
Fluoridation of water and improved oral hygiene have cut down on cavities and tooth loss. In 1960, the average American over 65 had just seven teeth; now, the average is 18 teeth. Baby boomers can expect to have 24 of their own teeth when they reach 65, according to the Delta Dental information.
At least, the baby boomers will have that many teeth if they take care of them.
"Aging and disease are different. No one has ever lost a tooth because they turned 70; people lose teeth because they have dental disease - tooth decay and periodontal disease," said Dr. Linda Niessen, chairperson of the Department for Public Health Sciences at Baylor College of Dentistry.
In a recent teleconference arranged by the American Medical Association, Niessen said it is time Americans quit accepting tooth decay as "an inevitable part of aging, like graying hair."
People of all ages - no matter how old - need to get dental checkups. They also need to take advantage of new toothbrushes, pastes and gels on the market that facilitate brushing and flossing, and make certain toothpaste and mouth rinse contain fluoride, she said.
Use the peroxide and baking soda products if you're on a nostalgia kick, Niessen said, but don't expect them to be any more effective.
"In the mid-1970s, some research using baking soda and peroxide showed some promising results, but there's really no advantage or disadvantage to it," she said.
Also, people need to remember that the mouth is connected to the rest of the body. Weight loss and general malaise could be traced to gum disease, she said.
Joining Niessen at the AMA briefing was fellow researcher Dr. Sebastian Ciancio, chairman of the Department of Periodontology at State University of New York at Buffalo. He encourages people to learn their peridontal screening and recording score - an examination of pockets under the gum which shows if an individual has gum disease. Get proper treatment if they do have problems, Ciancio said.
At least one proposed over-the-counter toothpaste has reformulated stannous fluoride in it that will reduce gingivitis. Also, a stringlike device that contains tetracycline can be placed into a periodontal pocket to destroy many bacteria that cause gum disease, he said.
Also, slow-release oral capsules and other products are being developed, he said, but added, "There is no substitute for thorough brushing and dental flossing."
Even if a person doesn't have access to a toothbrush, he or she can carry one of the "little triangle-shaped brushes, and in two minutes you can go through the whole mouth," he said.
As a last resort, but better than nothing to clean the mouth after eating, is a toothpick, Ciancio said.
by CNB