cancer – Page 3 – watercress words by Dr Aletha

I notice more television commercials for dental care products and services, and most of them follow a theme. In the past most advertisements were for toothpaste for preventing cavities. Now they focus on whitening, stain removal, straightening, dentures and dental implants.

There is a series of ads for dental clinics that promise “not to rob you” featuring skits portraying people afraid that dentists will demand huge amounts of money for dental care.

Myths about dental care

I think these ads reflect myths about dental care that many of us believe and unfortunately base our behavior on. We need to dispel these myths with some truths about oral health, which includes our teeth and mouth.

These myths include

Care of our teeth is mainly a cosmetic concern, affecting our appearance only.
Dental care is a luxury, nice but optional, not a necessity, it can be ignored.
Dental care is expensive and out of reach without insurance or a high income.
Tooth disease and loss is inevitable, so we might as well just accept it.
Dental care is low priority, behind food, housing, and medical care in importance.

Truths about dental care

But the truth, based on recommendations from experts in oral and dental health, tells us differently.

Care of our teeth is functional- we need a healthy mouth for eating, drinking, breathing, and talking. Our mouths also help us interact with other people emotionally- frowning, smiling, kissing, singing.
Oral care is a basic component of health care, vitally important to overall health. I’ll say more about this later.
Dental care can be affordable; it’s probably more costly if neglected.
Loss or disease of teeth and other mouth disorders are preventable and treatable.
Dental and oral care is vital to overall good health, and ultimately can be cost effective.

Family of 4 sitting at a dining table. — Our mouth- eating, talking, smiling-connects us with our family and friends.

Our teeth and oral cavity, the “window to general health”

The oral cavity, or simply called the mouth ,includes the teeth and gums, as well as the lips, the tongue, the palate (roof of the mouth), and the mucosa (sides of the mouth).

diagram of the mouth from the National Cancer Institute — The underside of the tongue and nearby structures (lip, tongue, salivary glands, and floor of the mouth) are identified. Alan Hoofring (Illustrator) public domain

Why dental care improves our overall health.

Over 100 diseases and at least 500 medications can affect our teeth and mouths. Regular dental care can monitor for these effects and prevent them from progressing into tooth disease.

Our mouths contain over 500 species of bacteria and other organisms, some of which are protective and some destructive to our teeth. Good oral care can keep these in proper balance to prevent tooth and gum disease.

People with poor dental health have a higher incidence of heart attacks and stroke. Experts have not determined if this is direct cause and effect or coincidence, but believe it may be due to increased atherosclerosis (hardened arteries from cholesterol) due to the chronic inflammation of gingivitis.

Bacteria from the mouth can lead to pneumonia in susceptible persons, like those with emphysema or those hospitalized with critical illnesses or injuries.

Diabetes, when the blood sugar is not controlled, negatively impacts periodontal health, and periodontitis makes glucose control more difficult. Periodontitis is inflammation and infection of the ligaments and bones that support the teeth.

Poor oral health during pregnancy increases the risk for miscarriage, low birth weight, preeclampsia, and stillbirth.

Resources for understanding different types of dental and oral disease.

Gum Disease-Also called: Periodontal disease

Tooth disorders

Oral Cancer from the American Dental Association

Paying for dental care

Dental care should not be a luxury, and can be within financial reach with some research into available options. These sites can help you discover what you may quality for.

When You Don’t Have Dental Insurance

Free/Low-Cost/Sliding Scale Dental Clinics

The importance of dental care for children

Health teeth in adults ideally starts with dental care in childhood. Jenny Silverstone, blogger at Mom Loves Best, has created this infographic about caring for children’s teeth. I suggest you also read her in depth article about helping children have healthy teeth.

Don’t neglect adult dental care

Continuing good mouth and tooth care as an adult can help you avoid tooth loss, painful gums, or other problems. If you have any problems with your teeth or concerns about your mouth, see your doctor or dentist right away.

a doctor looking into a patient's mouth — Michael Munger, M.D., examines a patient at his medical office in Overland Park, Kan. courtesy American Academy of Family Physicians

Here are some helpful things you can do:

Brush your teeth at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.
Floss your teeth at least once a day.
Don’t smoke or chew tobacco.
Ask your doctor if your medicines have side effects that might damage your teeth.
Look inside your mouth regularly for sores that don’t heal, irritated gums, or other changes.
See your dentist every 6 months for regular check-ups and cleanings.

(source: familydoctor.org)

Using a power toothbrush may keep your teeth healthier, especially if you have any difficulty using a manual brush.I use an Oral-B Rechargeable Toothbrush by Braun.

(This is an affiliate link. )

I appreciate your reading and sharing this post on your social media pages.

And please follow Watercress Words for more information and inspiration to help you explore the HEART of HEALTH.

Thank you for viewing the advertisements and using the affiliate links that fund this blog; with your help, we can grow, reach more people, and support worthy causes that bring health and wholeness to people around the world.

Dr. Aletha , sharing the HEART of health

Read KevinMD

If you want to know what doctors think, and more importantly, how they feel about their jobs, read KevinMD.

(This post has affiliate links.)

Founded by Dr. Kevin Pho in 2004, this blog features articles by thousands of doctors, representing multiple specialties, ages, genders, ethnicity and practice setting. They write on multiple topics related to health, the science, practice, business, and politics of medicine, the doctor-patient relationship, and anything else even remotely related to medicine and health care.

On KevinMD you will not find detailed infographics, slick images, or cute printables.

You will find stories filled with raw emotion as physicians candidly share the horrific struggles, the occasional remarkable successes, and the everyday grind of providing healthcare to hurting, needy, sometimes demanding, occasionally grateful patients.

And you will hear from patients whose experiences with physicians and the healthcare system range from sublime to horrendous.

You may not like or agree with some of the things you read there-I often don’t and I’m a doctor myself. That’s part of the point of this blog. We physicians are not homogeneous. We are individuals with different stories to tell from differing points of view, based on background, training, and experience.

The blog is divided into sections based on broad categories of topics –

physician,
practice
policy,
finance
tech,
edu,
meds,
conditions.
patient
social

Some of the articles are directed to patients while others are physician oriented. I encourage you to read some of both, in addition to the ones I am sharing here.

Many of the physician authors write their own blogs, so it is a good place to explore and discover other health bloggers that you may enjoy.

How doctors feel about relationships with patients-

Dr. Jennifer Lycette , an oncologist who blogs at The Hopeful Cancer Doc, offered her take on a situation that I have encountered more than once myself.

Don’t call me “Mrs.” Call me “Doctor.”

“To address a female physician as “Mrs.,” even if she is married, is to imply that despite all her professional accomplishments, her worth is reduced to her marital status. It ignores all the hard work that went into earning the title of “Doctor,” and denotes, whether intentional or not, that a female physician is somehow less deserving of the title than a male physician.”

How patients feel about communicating with doctors

Martine Ehrenclou is a patient advocate.

She is the author of Critical Conditions: The Essential Hospital Guide to Get Your Loved One Out Alive and The Take-Charge Patient.

She submitted an interesting piece on a controversial topic, that of patients recording their visits with doctors, either with or without permission.

“patients are in fact secretly recording conversations with their doctors without asking permission first.

Talk about a blow to the doctor-patient relationship.

I understand the hesitation to ask permission to record an office or hospital visit with a medical provider as I experienced it myself. But secretly recording is a violation of trust. Why would any patient surreptitiously tamper with the relationship with their doctor, something that is considered the cornerstone of quality care?’

Documenting information your doctor gives you is essential because it’s just too easy to misunderstand or forget the medical information conveyed. “

She offers these

Tips to remember what the doctor tells you.

doctor talking to a woman — photo compliments American Academy of Family Physicians

How doctors think about treating illness

Dr. Eileen Sprys is a family physician who wants you to know

When you have a cold, why I’m not giving you an antibiotic

“I want you to know that as a physician, I feel a pang of insecurity, guilt, and sadness when a patient tells me they’re upset because I won’t write an antibiotic. I don’t want you to be sick or miserable.

I understand how inconvenient and sometimes life altering a cold can be. I desperately, desperately wish that I had a cure for your cold, but none of us do.

I also want you to know that for every antibiotic I over-prescribe, that I run the unnecessary risk of making someone even more sick, even to the point of hospitalization or death. I went into medicine to help you and to relieve your suffering with integrity — and that by giving you antibiotics without indication, I am betraying my own purpose.”

What doctors want you to know but don’t have time to tell you

a vision refractor — An ophthalmologist is a physician (doctor of medicine, MD, or doctor of osteopathy, DO) who specializes in the medical and surgical care of the eyes and visual system and in the prevention of eye disease and injury.

Dr. Brian C. Joondeph is an ophthalmologist and can be reached on Twitter @retinaldoctor. This article originally in the HealthZette reveals

8 things doctors secretly want to tell their patients

Number 8 is “I’m only human.”

“We have our good days and bad days just like anyone else. We try to always have a smile on our faces, be upbeat and cheerful. But we, too, are affected by life’s challenges — work, family, finances, health, and so on. Don’t be too quick to judge and criticize!”

What doctors do away from their practice

KevinMD does have a few photos, and even some videos. I enjoyed this one by physician-comedian Brad Nieder, MD who blogs at the The Healthy Humorist.

In this clip he explains how he learned to eat less.