Back to school dental exams

Summer break began only a few weeks ago and yet back to school promotions and sales are already starting to appear. The WDA reminds you to include a dental exam as part of your child’s back-to-school health check-ups and immunizations.

Dental exams are just as important to good health as annual physicals. This is supported by growing evidence that dental health is linked to a person’s overall physical well-being. Tooth decay, if left untreated, can have serious consequences. In rare cases, an abscessed tooth can lead to a life-threatening condition.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report a rise in tooth decay in baby teeth among children two to five-years-old. Children with untreated dental problems can have trouble concentrating in class and learning. That’s why a dental exam is an important part of the back-to-school routine.

Lifestyle factors and gum disease
New research shows some lifestyle factors can increase a person’s risk for periodontal (gum) disease. This includes smoking, lack of sleep, stress and alcohol consumption.

Researchers followed 219 factory workers in Japan from 1999 – 2003 and found smoking to have the greatest independent effect on the progression of gum disease. Lack of sleep was the second most influential followed by high levels of stress and alcohol consumption.

As evidence of the link between dental health and overall health grows, it’s important to be aware that our lifestyle choices can affect more than we might think.

Tobacco users are more likely to have oral cancer, bad breath, stained teeth, teeth and bone loss, less success with periodontal and other dental treatments, mouth sores and face wrinkling.

Simple lifestyle changes can prevent all that. Gum disease affects more than just your teeth, so consider your lifestyle choices, brush and floss daily and visit your dentist regularly. MORE>>

Source: Journal of Periodontology (2007), vol. 78, issue 5