The Oral-Systemic Connection

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Classic Denture Center

For many years dental professionals have explored the links between oral and systemic health, and here at Classic Denture Center, we feel this connection is a big one!

Beginning as early as the late 19th century, researchers proposed that bacteria in the oral cavity could cause issues elsewhere in the body. However, over the past several decades, scientific study has helped us further understand these connections and added to the list of systemic conditions associated with periodontal disease.

Find oral health with a denturist in Portland OR

By the year 2000, the United States Surgeon General issued a report on the national oral health status. This report formally acknowledged the association between periodontal disease and the following conditions:

-Cardiovascular disease

-Diabetes

-Pneumonia

-Adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth.

The report also suggested that more research was needed to establish causation.

Experts have identified two mechanisms that could explain the connection between oral and systemic health.

The first is chronic inflammation in the oral cavity – this could hypothetically lead to an increase of inflammatory markers in the bloodstream and, in turn, add to the body’s inflammatory response or general burden of disease.

Second, the oral cavity may act as a reservoir for pathogenic bacteria that can enter the bloodstream and affect distant sites within the body. While this phenomenon, known as bacteremia, is not generally a risk for patients with healthy immune systems, it can pose a serious threat to immunocompromised patients such as those with HIV/AIDS or diabetes.

Many dental patients will resist treatment, especially when their condition isn’t causing them pain or other serious symptoms.

In order to maintain your oral health, it is important to take part in routine dental appointments. This will help with the early detection of both oral and systemic diseases. In turn making treatment as manageable and effective as possible!

Medical experts, including your denturist in Portland OR recommends two annual visits to the dentist as an important investment to your oral as well as overall health! Not only can you catch conditions in the early stages, you can also prevent future issue from popping up.

This is even more important if you have full or partial dentures. Regular care can prevent disease as well as the costly mistake of need to prematurely replace your dentures.

When you do visit your dentist, it is important to know that saliva can act as a powerful diagnostic tool, offering a window into oral and systemic disease, even in the absence of traditional symptoms. During a dental visit, saliva can be collected and tested for biomarkers of:

-Hepatitis

-HIV

-Cancer

-Osteoporosis

-And more.

Saliva additionally wards off disease-causing organisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

These are just a few of the ways that your oral and systemic health are connected, further research could show even more of a correlation. To learn more about your health, contact your denturist in Portland OR! We can help you develop a dental hygiene plan that can give yourself the best chance you have at staying at the top of your game.

Together We Can Help Prevent Tooth Decay

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Classic Denture Center

We have all heard it takes a village to raise a child, right? And to be honest, this is such an important part of our lives… But what about the idea that it takes an army to raise and maintain optimal oral hygiene? The constant 24-hour, 7-days-a-week battle against bacteria and inflammation in the oral cavity is a universal issue for all humans, children and adults alike. Your dental professionals, including your denturists in Portland OR at Classic Denture Center, are at the forefront of this struggle each and every day… Constantly learning and evolving to find new ways to keep your mouth healthy and beautiful.

Even in cases where your teeth look healthy, acids in everyday foods and drinks can still put enamel at risk and potentially cause enamel erosion. It’s true! You may not feel it or see it, but you could be doing damage to your teeth without even knowing it.

What is Enamel Erosion?

Enamel erosion from acids is a form of tooth wear that is caused by acid softening the surface of the tooth enamel. When tooth enamel (the tooth’s hard surface) is exposed to acids from certain everyday foods or drinks, it can temporarily soften and lose some of its mineral content. When the enamel is softened and you brush your teeth, it can be worn away more easily. Foods and drinks with a high acid content, such as fruit and fruit juices, sparkling water with lemon, salad dressing, and wine, may erode your tooth enamel.

Effects of pH

Evidence-based approaches are enabling dental professionals to shift their focus from identifying disease process outcomes to managing and controlling risk factors for infection. Among these risk factors are low (acidic) pH levels contributing to tooth demineralization and susceptibility. A more acidic oral environment is responsible for shifting the balance of oral biofilm from one supporting health to one in which the harmful bacteria implicated in destructive tooth decay and periodontal diseases are more prominent.

Advice for Caring for Your Teeth

Oral health maintenance and prevention begins with a strong mechanical and chemical homelier regime. All dental professionals are taught about how it takes a combination of mechanical and chemical tools to help our patients achieve optimal oral health. Inflammation, decay, erosion, and sensitivity can all be symptoms you are suffering from growing plaque bacteria.

Here at Classic Denture Center, we are your denturists in Portland OR fighting on the frontlines every single day for your oral health. We care for our patients and always give to them a full scope of recommendations for home care. Contact us today to learn more about your oral health and what can be done to improve it.

Sleep Apnea: A Hidden Disorder

Posted on April 30, 2019 by Classic Denture Center

When you think about sleep apnea, who comes to mind?

Many people misguidedly think that sleep apnea only afflicts men over the age of 50 who are overweight. While these things do factor into an increased risk for sleep apnea, you might be surprised to hear that so much more goes into it.

Today, your denturist in Portland OR would like to clear the air a bit about who suffers from sleep apnea and how serious this condition is.

A person who suffers from sleep apnea could be:

Male or Female
In any physical condition
Young, middle-aged, mature adult, or elderly

As a matter of fact, an estimated 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, and a staggering 80% of these cases are undiagnosed. This means that you could be struggling with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea and not even realize it. It is also important to note that between 1% and 4% of all children, including infants, are affected.

So what is sleep apnea and why is it a concern?

This is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night’s sleep, you might have sleep apnea. The main type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, a condition where the throat muscles relax and disrupt the normal breathing pattern.

Sleep apnea can be the cause of many other secondary issues because the afflicted cannot obtain restful sleep.

Disease manifestations in the absence of appropriate, quality sleep can include:

Depression and anxiety
Dementia
Hypertension
Congestive heart failure
Nighttime heart attacks
Obesity
Memory loss
Atrial fibrillation
Impotence
Metabolic syndrome
Lack of energy
Diabetes
Premature death

What are the symptoms of sleep apnea?

The signs and symptoms of obstructive and central sleep apneas overlap, sometimes making it difficult to determine which type you have.

The most common signs and symptoms of obstructive and central sleep apneas include:

Loud snoring
Episodes in which you stop breathing during sleep – which would be reported by another person
Gasping for air during sleep
Awakening with a dry mouth
Morning headache
Difficulty staying asleep (insomnia)
Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia)
Difficulty paying attention while awake
Irritability

How is sleep apnea diagnosed?

Sleep breathing disorders must be diagnosed by a physician, and will typically begin with a sleep study. Once a diagnosis has been rendered, the physician can refer the patient to a qualified dentist who knows how to create the appropriate sleep device. Denturists and dentists work together in making different devices to treat obstructive sleep apnea.

If you think you or someone you love think you may be suffering from sleep apnea, time is of the essence! You never know, you could be one of the 80% of people with this disorder who are unaware they have it.

If you have any questions about sleep apnea or the devices you may need, please don’t hesitate to contact your denturist in Portland OR. Tanya Poleon understands the ins and outs of sleep apnea and can help you better understand various devices that treat the illness.