Poor Oral Health Affects Olympic Athletes' Performance

 

The training regimen for any Olympic athlete is intense, but getting oral health into shape is usually not part of the routine. However, new research examining the impact of 2012 Olympic athletes' oral health may now make the toothbrush as important as athletic shoes.

The study, led by Professor Ian Needleman of the University College London Eastman Dental Institute, was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

He and his team recruited 302 athletes in total from the London 2012 athletes' village to take part in the study, which involved an oral health check-up and a personal assessment of the impact oral health had on their quality of life and athletic training and performance.

The majority of the athletes were from Africa, the Americas and Europe, and they represented 25 sports, with 34.9% from track and field, 14% from boxing and 11.4% from hockey.

Researchers found that 55% of the athletes had dental caries, which is tooth decay. Of this group, 41% of them had tooth decay into the dentine, which means it is reversible.

However, more than 75% of the participants had gingivitis, which is an early stage of gum disease, and 15% had signs of periodontis, which is an irreversible gum infection.

Prof. Needleman says:

"Oral health is important for wellbeing and successful elite sporting performance. It is amazing that many professional athletes - people who dedicate a huge amount of time and energy to honing their physical abilities - do not have sufficient support for their oral health needs, even though this negatively impacts on their training and performance."

The researchers note that many of the sportswomen and men who competed in the London 2012 Olympics had poor levels of oral health that were similar to the problems seen in the most disadvantaged populations.

Oral health impact on training and performance

Athlete running on an open road

The researchers found that 18% of the 2012 Olympic athletes surveyed said poor oral health affected their training or performance.

Almost half of the Olympic athletes who took part in the study had not attended a dental exam or hygiene appointment in the previous year, the researchers say, and 8.7% of them had never been to the dentist.

The proportion of athletes who said they were "bothered by oral health issues" totaled 42%, and 28% said it affected their quality of life.

Additionally, 18% of the athletes said they believed poor oral health was affecting their training or performance in a negative way.

Prof. Needleman believes that an oral health assessment should be part of every single athlete's normal medical care, adding:

"If we are going to help them optimize their level of performance, we need to concentrate on oral health promotion and disease prevention strategies to facilitate the health and wellbeing of all our elite athletes."

Everyday oral health

The researchers hypothesize that links between oral health, wellbeing and performance may be due to pain from oral disease, as well as inflammation and a decreased self-confidence.

They point to previous studies' findings that athletes have poor oral health, which could be linked to frequent carbohydrate intake and reduced immune function from intensive training.

Prof. Needleman told Medical News Today that the mechanisms behind the impact on the Olympians' performance could also be relevant for the general public:

"Clearly, pain and discomfort from tooth decay, dental erosion, periodontal (gum) disease or infected wisdom teeth will affect performance. We see psychological impacts from, for example, bleeding gums, bad odors and poor appearance.

These have well-documented effects on confidence. It has also been shown that infection in the mouth, for instance from periodontal disease, increases the levels of inflammation in the rest of the body and this can impair performance as well as increase risk of injury."

He also said that these conditions are preventable through regular dental care and general maintenance of the oral environment.

So, whether you are an athlete heading to Rio for 2016 or a member of the general public, picking up a toothbrush may improve your performance on the track or in the gym.

medicalnewstoday.com

Does Gum Disease Indicate Future Joint Problems?

Bacteria Responsible for Gum Disease Facilitates Rheumatoid Arthritis

Does gum disease indicate future joint problems? Although researchers and clinicians have long known about an association between two prevalent chronic inflammatory diseases -- periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) -- the microbiological mechanisms have remained unclear.

In an article published in PLoS Pathogens, University of Louisville School of Dentistry Oral Health and Systemic Diseases group researcher Jan Potempa, PhD, DSc, and an international team of scientists from the European Union's Gums and Joints project have uncovered how the bacterium responsible for periodontal disease, Porphyromonas gingivalisworsens RA by leading to earlier onset, faster progression and greater severity of the disease, including increased bone and cartilage destruction.

The scientists found that P. gingivalis produces a unique enzyme, peptidylarginine deiminanse (PAD) which then enhances collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), a form of arthritis similar to RA produced in the lab. PAD changes residues of certain proteins into citrulline, and the body recognizes citullinated proteins as intruders, leading to an immune attack. In RA patients, the subsequent result is chronic inflammation responsible for bone and cartilage destruction within the joints.

Potempa and his team studied another oral bacterium, Prevotella intermedia for the same affect, but learned it did not produce PAD, and did not affect CIA. 

“Taken together, our results suggest that bacterial PAD may constitute the mechanistic link between P. gingivalis periodontal infection and rheumatoid arthritis, but this ground-breaking conclusion will need to be verified with further research," he said.  Potempa said he is hopeful these findings will shed new light on the treatment and prevention of RA.”

Studies indicate that compared to the general population, people with periodontal disease have an increased prevalence of RA and, periodontal disease is at least two times more prevalent in RA patients. Other research has shown that a P. gingivalis infection in the mouth will precede RA, and the bacterium is the likely culprit for onset and continuation of the autoimmune inflammatory responses that occur in the disease.

sciencedaily.com

Reduce Snoring by Singing?

 

Are you - or your partner - a chronic snorer? Joining a choir or taking singing lessons could help. A UK study found that a program of vocal exercises designed by a singing teacher helped reduce snoring.  The clinical trial, by Exeter University and the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, showed that the singing exercises, which strengthen certain throat muscles, also alleviated symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which people stop breathing during deep sleep.  Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea can result from weak muscles in the soft palate and upper throat (the pharyngeal muscles). Serious singers improve the tone and strength of these muscles by practicing certain vocal exercises.

The study came about because singing teacher Alise Ojay contacted Malcolm Hilton, consultant otolaryngologist at the Exeter hospital and sub dean of the University of Exeter Medical School.

Dr. Hilton explains:

"Alise told me that one of her pupils had said that, since starting to sing, his snoring had become greatly reduced.

So, she devised a singing exercise program to strengthen the throat muscles. I then set up this trial and the results have been really interesting."

Hilton explains that snoring and obstructive sleep apnea affect millions of people. Snoring may not be a life-threatening condition, but it disrupts lives and sufferers often seek medical advice.  Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), on the other hand, is potentially much more serious. It can cause people to stop breathing during deep sleep, and severely diminish sleep quality.

A recent study found that moderate obstructive sleep apnea may reduce sudden cardiac death. 

Dr. Hilton: "It is also believed that OSA may contribute to road accidents and hypertension."

For the trial, the team recruited 60 chronic snorers and 60 people with mild-to-moderate sleep apnea.

• The participants from each group were randomly assigned to either follow a program of singing exercises for three months, or no intervention.
• The self-guided exercise program was provided on a box-set of three audio CDs, and could be completed in around 20 minutes each day.

At the end of the trial, the results showed that the daily singing exercises reduced the severity, frequency and loudness of snoring, and improved sleep quality. There were no such changes in the participants who were not asked to do the exercises.

Hilton says the exercises were not difficult, and two thirds of the participants asked to do them managed this on most days over the three-month trial.

He adds that the findings open up a "whole new avenue" of possible treatments without the need for surgery, which is good news for snorers:  "I was open-minded about it. I had no expectations but it was an interesting concept.  There is not already a quick-fix treatment for snoring. It is a condition where, if you could find a non-invasive treatment, that would be very beneficial."

But Hilton suggests for best results, the exercises should be accompanied by lifestyle changes such as losing weight. Being overweight is the single biggest contributor to snoring.

medicalnewstoday.com

Tailor-Made Teeth for Dental Patients in the Future?

Stem cells derived from urine can be used to generate tooth-like structures, reports a study published this week in the open access Cell Regeneration Journal. It's thought the technique might one day help researchers grow new, tailor-made teeth for dental patients.

That stem cells can be generated from urine is not new; previous studies have shown that cells discarded in human urine can be coaxed to become induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which themselves can generate many different cell types, including neurons and heart muscle cells. But researchers had yet to generate solid organs or tissues from iPSCs -- until now.

Duanqing Pei and colleagues have developed a novel chimeric tissue culture system to coax human urine-derived iPSCs into tiny structures that resemble teeth. The system mimics normal tooth development, which results from an interaction between two different cell types; epithelial cells, which give rise to enamel, and mesenchymal cells, which give rise to the other three main components of teeth (dentin, cementum and pulp).

First, the team used chemicals to coax the cultured iPSCs into flat sheets of epithelial cells. They then mixed these cells with mouse embryonic mesenchymal cells, and transplanted them into mice. Three weeks later, tooth-like structures had grown.

The primitive teeth-like organs are structurally and physically similar to human teeth. They are of roughly the same elasticity, and contain pulp, dentin and enamel-forming cells. But the method has its limitations -- it involves mouse cells, has a success rate of around 30% and the structures were about one-third of the hardness of human teeth.

To resolve these issues, human mesenchymal stem cells could be substituted for mouse ones and the tissue culture conditions tweaked. The revised method could, in theory, be used to create a bioengineered tooth bud that could be cultured in vitro then transplanted into the jawbone of a needy patient to form a fully functional tooth.

iPSCs are of interest over embryonic stem cells because their derivation avoids the controversial use of embryos. iPSCs have previously been derived from cultured skin and blood cells, but urine represents an more readily accessible source. Cells generated by this method would not be rejected by the host recipient, as they would be derived from the host's own cellular material. iPSCs remain a great source of hope for regenerative medicine.
 

The New Glo ZERO Sensitivity

Professional Teeth Whitening System

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Union Hills Family Dentistry!

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(623) 878-4460

Sensitive Teeth

Is the taste of ice cream or a sip of hot coffee sometimes a painful experience for you? Does brushing or flossing make you wince occasionally? If so, you may have sensitive teeth.
Possible causes include:

• Tooth decay (cavities)
• Fractured teeth
• Worn fillings
• Gum disease
• Worn tooth enamel
• Exposed tooth root

In healthy teeth, a layer of enamel protects the crowns of your teeth—the part above the gum line. Under the gum line a layer called cementum protects the tooth root. Underneath both the enamel and the cementum is dentin.
Dentin is less dense than enamel and cementum and contains microscopic tubules (small hollow tubes or canals). When dentin loses its protective covering of enamel or cementum these tubules allow heat and cold or acidic or sticky foods to reach the nerves and cells inside the tooth. Dentin may also be exposed when gums recede. The result can be hypersensitivity.

Sensitive teeth can be treated. The type of treatment will depend on what is causing the sensitivity. Your dentist may suggest one of a variety of treatments:

• Desensitizing toothpaste. This contains compounds that help block transmission of sensation from the tooth surface to the nerve, and usually requires several applications before the sensitivity is reduced.
• Fluoride gel. An in-office technique which strengthens tooth enamel and reduces the transmission of sensations.
• A crown, inlay or bonding. These may be used to correct a flaw or decay that results in sensitivity.
• Surgical gum graft. If gum tissue has been lost from the root, this will protect the root and reduce sensitivity.
• Root canal. If sensitivity is severe and persistent and cannot be treated by other means, your dentist may recommend this treatment to eliminate the problem.

Proper oral hygiene is the key to preventing sensitive-tooth pain. Ask your dentist if you have any questions about your daily oral hygiene routine or concerns about tooth sensitivity. 

Billions Worldwide Suffer From Major Tooth Decay

Billions of people across the globe are suffering from major untreated dental problems, according to a new report led by Professor Wagner Marcenes of Queen Mary, University of London, published in the Journal of Dental Research.

Professor Marcenes of the Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary led an international research team investigating oral health as part of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2010 study.

The report shows that oral conditions affect as many as 3.9bn people worldwide - over half the total population. Untreated tooth decay or cavities in permanent teeth - also known as dental caries - was the most common of all 291 major diseases and injuries assessed by the GBD 2010 study, affecting 35 per cent of the world population.

"There are close to 4bn people in the world who suffer from untreated oral health conditions that cause toothache and prevent them from eating and possibly sleeping properly, which is a disability," comments Professor Marcenes. "This total does not even include small cavities or mild gum diseases, so we are facing serious problems in the population's oral health."

The GBD 2010 estimated that the disability associated with severe tooth loss was between those reported for moderate heart failure and moderate consequences of stroke.

Oral conditions accounted for an average health loss of 224 years per 100,000 people (years lived with disability or YLDs) - more than 25 out of 28 categories of cancer assessed in the GBD 2010 study.

The study found that the global burden of oral conditions is shifting from severe tooth loss towards severe periodontitis and untreated caries. It found that the global burden of oral diseases increased 20 per cent between 1990 and 2010, while a reduction of 0.5 per cent was observed for all conditions together. This increase was mainly due to population growth and ageing.

Professor Marcenes interprets this observed shift: "Tooth loss is often the final result when preventive or conservative treatments for tooth decay or gum disease fail or are unavailable. It is likely that current dental services are coping better to prevent tooth loss than in the past but major efforts are needed to prevent the occurrence and development of gum diseases and tooth decay. Ironically the longer a person keeps their teeth the greater the pressure on services to treat them."

The largest increases in the burden of oral conditions were in Eastern (52 per cent), Central (51 per cent) and Sub-Saharan Africa, and Oceania (48 per cent).

The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study commenced in the spring of 2007 and was a major effort involving nearly 500 scientists carrying out a complete systematic assessment of global data on all diseases and injuries.

Professor Marcenes comments: "Our findings are set to shake up the setting of health priorities around the world, providing an unparalleled amount of up-to-date, comparable data on the diseases, risk factors, disabilities, and injuries facing populations.

"The findings of the GBD 2010 study highlighted that an urgent organized social response to oral health problems is needed. This must deal with a wide array of health care and public health priorities for action." 

Medicalnewstoday.com

Union Hills Family Dentistry, Dr. Ethan Yoza and staff, would like to announce the grand opening of their new office location and their new look!  Dr. Yoza had the opportunity to move his practice to a beautiful, more convenient location at 8110 W. Union Hills Drive, Suite 430, in Glendale, Arizona.

Dr. Yoza and his wife, Kymberly grew up in Hawaii and wanted to bring the relaxing, "Hawaiian" atmosphere to Union Hills Family Dentistry. Patients will receive the same, high quality care they have always received, just a change of scenery!

The anticipated move date to the new office location is scheduled for May 21st, 2013.  All current patients are welcomed to visit the office for a tour. Union Hills Family Dentistry is also accepting new patients and would love the opportunity to be your dentist. 

Please feel free to contact the office directly at 
(623) 878-4460 with general questions, insurance information or to schedule an appointment.

Union Hills Family Dentistry

Ethan J. Yoza, D.D.S., F.A.G.D.

8110 W. Union Hills Drive, Suite 430

Glendale, AZ 85308 Office: (623) 878-4460

Email: UHFDentistry@cox.net

Website: http://www.UHFDentistry.com