Does poor oral health impact brain function?

The health of your mouth is a fairly accurate indicator of your overall wellbeing. We’ve long known that tooth decay is linked to certain health conditions, but did you know that poor oral health can have an impact on your brain function? According to two new studies, inattention to oral health may lead to cognitive decline in elderly people.  

In 2010, a study concluded that gum disease increases the risk of heart disease by about 20 percent, and in 2014, researchers found a link between oral health and stroke risk. Now, scientists at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ, are studying the link between oral health and cognitive decline. A recent review of 23 studies studying oral health and cognitive factors like memory and executive function found evidence of a relationship. Additionally, the Rutgers University team has completed two studies into cognitive decline and perceived stress, both of which have been published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.  

These studies focused on elderly Chinese Americans, a population at risk of poor oral health because of a lack of dental care, exacerbated by a language barrier. In the first study, the participants, all over 60, were quizzed on their oral health and asked to complete five cognitive tests. The second study asked about dry mouth issues, then requested that the participants measure their levels of social support, social strain, and perceived stress. The researchers defined social support as how often the participants felt able to open up to or rely on family and friends, while social strain measured how often they felt there were excessive demands or criticisms from the same people.  

Nearly half of the 2,700 people interviewed reported tooth-related symptoms, with over a quarter saying they’d experienced dry mouth. Participants did not report as many gum-related issues, but researchers believe this is simply because they find these issues less problematic.  

The two studies found a link between tooth symptoms and cognitive decline, particularly global cognition and episodic memory decline. This is significant because episodic memory issues are linked to the onset of dementia. The studies also found that support from friends reduces perceived stress and made participants less likely to report dry mouth.  

The takeaway is that perceived stress can impact oral health, which in turn can lead to cognitive decline. These findings seem to indicate a need for better awareness of the psychosocial health of the elderly, particularly immigrants. Intervention strategies that account for factors like stress and social support in addition to health conditions and behaviors, could help reduce the risk of cognitive decline.  

At Park 56 Dental Group, we provide personalized, quality dental care in a spa-like environment. We serve the Midtown, Central Park, Upper East Side, Park Avenue, and all surrounding Manhattan and New York areas, with a patient-centered practice that has hours to fit your schedule. Schedule your complimentary consultation today by contacting us online or calling us at (212) 826-2322.  

What Does My Snoring Mean & What Should I Do About It?

If you’re someone who snores, you probably already know it’s a problem. Snoring can disrupt your sleep as well as the sleep of anyone sharing your room, and can even have a negative impact on your relationship with your significant other. Unfortunately, if your snoring is due to obstructive sleep apnea, disrupted sleep may only be one of many problems you’ll face.  

Snoring doesn’t necessarily indicate sleep apnea, but if you have sleep apnea, you will snore. Snoring generally happens because of airway obstruction, and even minor obstruction can cause you to snore. With obstructive sleep apnea, though, the airway obstruction causes the airflow to the lung to be significantly diminished.  

• What causes sleep apnea? Weight is often a risk factor, but it’s only part of the story. If you’re overweight, it can contribute to “crowding” in the sides and back of the throat. However, the tonsils or the tongue can also cause anatomical obstruction, and this obstruction, combined with diminished muscle tone in the throat while you sleep, is a big factor in both snoring and sleep apnea.  
• What are the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea? Someone with sleep apnea may gasp or choke while sleeping or have episodes of stopping breathing while asleep. During the day, apnea sufferers may experience sleepiness, headaches, fatigue, and behavioral changes.  
• Is there anything that someone can do about snoring? To get a handle on your snoring, you might try losing weight and making some changes to your sleeping routine. Consider adding an extra pillow to keep your head propped up, and try not to sleep on your back. Don’t drink before bed, and on top of your allergies by taking allergy medication and maintaining a clean sleeping environment. This may help prevent congestion and obstruction that can cause snoring.  
• If I think I have sleep apnea, what should I do? See your doctor as soon as possible. Sleep apnea can lead to serious health issues, increasing your risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, and stroke. It can even affect your mental health, increasing anxiety, and depression.  
• What will my doctor do to help with sleep apnea? Your doctor may suggest a CPAP machine to help keep your airway open, but there are also many other options available. Your dentist may be able to help, too, with solutions like a custom-made sleep appliance.  

At Park 56 Dental Group, we provide personalized, quality dental care in a spa-like environment. We offer pediatric, prosthodontics, endodontics, oral surgery, Invisalign®, emergency, and sedation dentistry, all at the highest level of treatment. We serve the Midtown, Central Park, Upper East Side, Park Avenue, and all surrounding Manhattan and New York areas, with a patient-centered practice that has hours to fit your schedule. Schedule your complimentary consultation today by contacting us online or calling us at (212) 826-2322.  

What are wisdom teeth and should I get mine out?

How much do you know about wisdom teeth? It might surprise you to know that pain related to wisdom teeth is one of the most common reasons people visit the dentist. The third set of molars to emerge from the gums, wisdom teeth can be problematic, causing pain, swelling, and infection even if your oral hygiene is good.  

We all grow two sets of teeth over the course of our lifetimes, beginning with the baby teeth, which are gradually replaced with 32 permanent teeth. The last permanent teeth to appear in the mouth ae the wisdom teeth, which come in between the ages of 18 and 25. In days past, people erroneously assumed that wisdom also developed around that time, which is how they got the name. Wisdom teeth are the teeth furthest back in the mouth, and most people have four of them. Many people have fewer, maybe only one to three wisdom teeth and a lucky few have none at all.  

Why do we grow wisdom teeth, if we don’t need them? We probably used to need them, but with the evolution of our diet to food that doesn’t wear down the teeth as much, our other teeth have become larger. This means less room in the jaw and not enough space for wisdom teeth to erupt normally. As a result, they can become impacted, emerging at an abnormal angle. This causes pain, either by pressing on the second molar or by remaining partially erupted, which leads to a pocket in the gum where food can collect, causing infection and tooth decay.  

If an infection is left untreated, it can spread into the face and neck, sometimes becoming life–threatening. In some rare cases, tissue around the impacted wisdom teeth can develop cysts or tumors. Because impacted wisdom teeth never become fully functional, the best way to prevent them from becoming a problem is to remove them, usually through oral surgery.  

Not everyone should have their wisdom teeth removed; if they grow in normally, there’s no reason to do it. Around the time that wisdom teeth normally emerge, your dentist will x-ray your mouth to check on yours. He or she will then be able to recommend removal, if needed, and determine the best time to perform the surgery, for minimal risk.  

At Park 56 Dental Group, we provide personalized, quality dental care in a spa-like environment. We offer pediatric, prosthodontics, endodontics, oral surgery, Invisalign®, emergency, and sedation dentistry, all at the highest level of treatment. We serve the Midtown, Central Park, Upper East Side, Park Avenue, and all surrounding Manhattan and New York areas, with a patient-centered practice that has hours to fit your schedule. Schedule your complimentary consultation today by contacting us online or calling us at (212) 826-2322.  

Why Diet Drinks May Cause Problems with Your Teeth

We all know that sugar is bad for our teeth, so if you’re a soda drinker, you may have been concerned about your habit ruining your smile. If you’ve switched to diet drinks, the problem is solved, right? Not so fast. Diet drinks have tooth-damaging effects of their own, sugar or no.  

What’s the problem with diet drinks? They’re fizzy, and that means they’re acidic. The acid used to create the bubbles that make soft drinks so appealing can also erode dental enamel. What’s more, sodas don’t have any nutritive value, and they’ve even been linked to type two diabetes, which can cause further dental problems.  

It also matters what you’re eating while you drink your diet drink. If you’re drinking diet drinks to allow you to splurge on sugar elsewhere, they’re really not improving your diet. If you’re drinking them between meals, the acid in these drinks can do more damage than if you drink them with a meal.  

What about seltzer or sparkling waters? Many people looking to break the soda habit have switched to bubbly waters as a healthier alternative. Does the acid in sparkling water damage your teeth? Different brands of seltzer and sparkling water have different levels of acidity, so they affect your teeth differently. Even the flavors can impact the acidity, with citrus flavors more acid than some others.   

If you want to know specifics about your preferred drink, you can get a pH testing kit and figure out exactly how acidic it really is. Tooth decay can occur at a pH level of 5.5, drinks with a level lower than 4 are considered erosive, and those under 3 are considered extremely erosive. Soft drinks, whether diet or otherwise, are usually in the 2-3 range, erosive to very erosive. Most sparkling waters fall in the minimally erosive range, with a pH higher than 4. Plain water? It’s the perfect thing to drink, with a balanced pH of right around 7, which is neutral.  

Ultimately, seltzer doesn’t really need to be off–limits, and it’s not the worst thing in the world if you occasionally indulge in a diet drink, as long as the rest of your diet is healthy. It’s smart to save your fizzy drinks for mealtimes, though, and drink plain water most of the time. To keep your teeth truly healthy you also need to eat a nutrient-dense diet, brush and floss regularly, and see your dentist for regular checkups.  

At Park 56 Dental Group, we provide personalized, quality dental care in a spa-like environment. We offer pediatric, prosthodontics, endodontics, oral surgery, Invisalign®, emergency, and sedation dentistry, all at the highest level of treatment. We serve the Midtown, Central Park, Upper East Side, Park Avenue, and all surrounding Manhattan and New York areas, with a patient-centered practice that has hours to fit your schedule. Schedule your complimentary consultation today by contacting us online or calling us at (212) 826-2322.