Is Your Swimming Pool Safe For Your Teeth?

Good morning,

As you know summer is in full swing and kids are officially out of school! With that means lot of pool time for many families whether at a public pool, or for a lot of people, in their own back yards. Water safety is always on the forefront of our minds but did you know that improper pH levels can cause permanent damage to your teeth? If not, keep reading this article from NYU about the effects that improperly maintained pools can have on your teeth!

Is Your Swimming Pool Safe For Your Teeth? 

NYU College of Dentistry Researchers Warn about the Dangers of Improperly Maintained Pools

New York University College of Dentistry’s Dr. Leila Jahangiri warns about the dangers of severe and rapid erosion of dental enamel from improperly maintained backyard swimming pools.

This summer season, tens of thousands of folks will be enjoying a respite in their backyard pools.  These pools could be putting their family’s dental health at risk for permanent damage to their teeth.

“Improperly maintained pool chlorination in swimming pools can cause rapid and excessive erosion of dental enamel,” warned Jahangiri, a clinical associate professor and the Chair of NYUCD’s Department of Prosthodontics.

“It is a difficult balance to maintain home pools properly,” Jahangiri contends.  “Proper pool chlorine and pH levels need to be monitored and maintained on a weekly basis”

“Maintenance by a professional pool service may cost thousands of dollars a season, so many homeowners try and maintain their pools themselves,” Jahangiri said.  “Improper pH levels can result in irreversible damage to one’s teeth,” she added.

Jahangiri has observed first-hand the effects of improper pH levels.  She and her NYUCD colleagues Steven Pigliacelli and Dr. Ross Kerr, authored a paper this spring, “Severe and Rapid Erosion of Dental Enamel from Swimming: A Clinical Report[l1] .” (not yet published)

The paper was based upon a 52 year old male patient whose main complaints included “extremely sensitive teeth,” dark staining, and rapid enamel loss over a very short five-month period beginning in May of 2010.

Jahangiri and her team concluded that the enamel loss was a direct result of the patient’s 90 minute swimming exercise routine he started earlier that summer.  Since he had never hired professional service to maintain his pool, given the timing coincidence and the lack of other possible causes, improper pool chlorination was ruled to be responsible for the patient’s dental erosion.

 “If the chemical levels are not properly maintained, pool water contact with teeth can cause serious enamel erosion,” Jahangiri said. Case studies show that the effect occurs when the pH of the water ranges between 2.7 and 7.

While the Center for Disease Control and various dental journals have already encountered cases of dental enamel erosion due to swimming pool chlorination, Jahangiri’s team believes that common awareness of the subject is insufficient.

“This case really worried me,” Jahangiri said.  “Given all the owner-maintained backyard swimming pools there are, the possibilities for people to harm their own teeth are staggering,” she said.

About New York University College of Dentistry Founded in 1865, New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD) is the third oldest and the largest dental school in the US, educating more than 8 percent of all dentists. NYUCD has a significant global reach and provides a level of national and international diversity among its students that is unmatched by any other dental school.

This Press Release is in the following Topics:
College of Dentistry, Applied Research

Type: Press Release

Press Contact: Christopher James | (212) 998-6876

To view the original article click here.

What To Do About A Lost Filling Or Crown

Good afternoon,

Today we are sharing some information from Colgate.com about what to do if you lose a filling or a crown. "Fillings are materials used to fill cavities in the teeth. Crowns cover the tops of damaged teeth. Sometimes, fillings or crowns fall out. In some cases, a filling or crown may come loose because there is decay underneath it. The decay destroys part of the tooth, so it no longer has a tight hold on the crown or filling."

Want to know what you can do if it ever happens to you? First, make sure your crown is in a safe place (if you know where you lost it or feel it come out). Second, call your dentist right away to make an appointment! If you are looking for help with a lost filling or crown and haven't been to a dentist in years, be sure to give us a call at: (301) 540-5195 or visit us online at: http://germantowndentalcare.com/. Dr. Mansfield and his wonderful staff have a long history of taking care of their patients like family so stop by and see us in Germantown, Maryland!

What about fillings? Click on the link here to learn more in the article!

Oral bacteria linked to risk of pancreatic cancer

Good morning,

Today we are sharing an article from The Modern Dental Network at http://www.dentalproductsreport.com/ on a serious topic, which needs to be mentioned. Most everyone has heard about how bad oral hygiene, plaque and bacteria can lead to other medical conditions and how important it is to take care of your moth. Recent studies in this article talk about an increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer with the latest findings. The disease is the latest in a string of medical conditions that have been connected to poor oral health.

"Oral bacteria have been linked to a slew of medical conditions, including heart attack, stroke, breast cancer and more, and researchers believe pancreatic cancer can be added to the list. In a recent study from the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center at the NYU Langune Medical Center, researchers discovered that the presence of two specific types of bacteria, Porphyromonas gigivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, significantly raised the likelihood of developing pancreatic cancer. Both bacteria have previously been tied to periodontitis and other oral diseases."
To continue reading the rest of this article to learn more click here.  

If you are concerned about your oral health or want to take steps today to help prevent other serious medical conditions, contact us today! We are here to help you, not scare you and get you on the right track for good oral health. Dr. Mansfield also takes your comfort seriously. He knows that not everyone’s idea of a perfect day is sitting in the dentist chair and that many people fear the possibility of pain or discomfort related to dental procedures. Ask any of his patients and they will tell you how much of a difference it makes that Dr. Mansfield cares for and addresses these concerns.

http://germantowndentalcare.com/

First Aid: Children's Teeth Injuries

Good evening!

Continuing our theme of children's oral care today we want to share some quick information from kidshealth.org, on what to do if your child has a dental emergency!

If your child prematurely loses a baby tooth, there's no need to try to replace it. But if a permanent tooth is dislodged, it's a dental emergency. Permanent teeth have the best chance of survival if replaced within 15-20 minutes. So it's important to act quickly and follow the guidelines below.

Image source: Parents Canada

First Aid
Many other dental injuries are less urgent, but may need to be looked at by a dentist. Most dental injuries in preschool and school-age kids occur from falls, while dental injuries in teens are often sports related.

What to Do
If a baby, toddler, or young child injures the gums or baby teeth:
-Apply pressure to the area (if it's bleeding) with a piece of cold, wet gauze. If your child is old enough to follow directions, ask him or her to bite down on the gauze.

-Offer an ice pop to suck on to reduce swelling, or hold an ice-pack wrapped in a washcloth to the cheek.
-Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen as needed for pain.
-Call a dentist.
-Watch for swelling of the gums, pain, fever, or a change in the color of the tooth.

If a permanent tooth is chipped or broken:
-Collect all pieces of the tooth.
-Rinse the mouth with warm water.
-Call a dentist right away to schedule a visit.
-Seek Medical Care

If a Permanent Tooth Is Knocked Out:
-Go to the dentist or emergency room right away after following these steps:
-Find the tooth. Call a dentist or emergency room right away if you aren't sure if it's a permanent tooth (baby teeth have smooth edges).
-Hold the tooth by the crown (the "chewing" end of the tooth) — not the root.
-Place the tooth in a balanced salt solution (a commercially available sterile product), if you have it. --If not, place the tooth in a container of milk or your child's saliva. You also can place the tooth between your lower lip and gum. Do not store it in tap water.

For older kids and teens, try placing the tooth back in the socket without touching the root. Have your child bite down on gauze to help keep it in place.

If the tooth is stored in a container (rather than back in the socket), have your child bite down on a gauze pad or handkerchief to relieve bleeding and pain.

Think Prevention!
Make sure kids wear mouthguards and protective gear for contact sports and helmets while biking, skateboarding, and inline skating. Childproof your house to prevent falls.

Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD
Date reviewed: April 2014
To view the original article from kidshealth.org visi: http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/tooth-sheet.html?WT.ac=p-ra