A new research study, carried out by the University of London in collaboration with American research groups, has gone a little way towards explaining why gum disease is more likely to be found in older people. The study was recently published in Nature, and found that as we age, the production of a chemical called Del-1 gradually falls. It is hoped that gaining a better understanding about this chemical could lead to the development of alternative and hopefully more effective methods of treating and preventing gum disease.
The latest research is showing a link between low levels of the chemical Del-1 and an increased likelihood of developing gum disease.
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Everyone knows that smoking gives you bad breath, but not everyone is aware that it greatly increases your likelihood of developing periodontal disease. The facts and figures are compelling. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that for people aged 65 and above, smokers are 2x more likely to lose all their teeth compared to non-smokers.
Part of the problem lies in the fact that smokers tend to have poorer oral hygiene than non-smokers as they are perhaps less health-conscious. Smokers are more likely to have significant calculus deposits that can only be removed during a professional cleaning, and this can depend on whether or not a person is a pipe or a cigarette smoker. Some researchers have found that pipe smokers tend to have more significant deposits1 of supragingival calculus. There is speculation that this is due to the fact that pipe smoke is of a higher pH than cigarette smoke, and pipe smokers tend to keep the smoke in the mouth for longer and produce more saliva which contains calcium, exacerbating the deposits of calculus.
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Wow, how time flies! Today we celebrate Leanne’s 30th anniversary as a dental hygienist. This is an amazing milestone that few have managed to reach. I have had the great fortune of working with her for the past few years , and I can tell you from firsthand experience, Leanne is an amazing person.
I first met Leanne a little over two years ago, and immediately took a liking to her after she had brought home-baked cookies for everyone in the office. At the time, I was still an intern, and after all the wonderful stories I had heard, was quite nervous about meeting her. But Leanne is an absolute joy to be around. After seeing me at my corner desk, she made the long walk over to me, introduced herself, and insisted that I take one of her delicious home-baked cookies. I thought to myself “Wow, she’s super cool!”
Leanne Carlson w/ Dr. Claude Ibbott
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Gum disease is by far one of the most common problem in cats, dogs and horses, and just like humans, gum disease can impact the whole body and have serious consequences for their health and well-being. The trouble is many animals hide their pain, and the disease is frequently late in being diagnosed.
According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, gum disease is estimated to affect around 80% of dogs and 70% of cats by the time they reach the age of three, although they can suffer from the disease from the age of six months onwards. Around a third of horses will suffer from some degree of periodontal disease, and about 60% of horses aged 13 years and older will have severe periodontal disease.
Gum disease in cats and dogs
With cats and dogs, just like in humans, the disease begins with signs of gingivitis, with the gum tissues becoming reddened and inflamed, and if not treated will result in periodontal pockets forming around the infected teeth. As the condition worsens, the symptoms the most common signs include bad breath, lack of appetite, weight loss, and a discharge from the eyes or nose. It’s more prevalent in animals that eat a lot of soft foods, and amongst those who don’t receive regular tooth brushing at home, or veterinary care.
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From my observations, many people tend to be passive participants, leaving their oral health in the hands of their dental practitioners. Most people go to their dental clinic expecting that the dentist alone can prevent the onslaught of gum disease, abdicating their home care diligence in favour of bi-annual dental checkups. One dentist I know likes to use this phrase to coax patients into improving their oral hygiene practice at home: “Only brush & floss the teeth you want to keep!” While this phrase is always guaranteed to get a smile out of the patients, unfortunately, it makes light of a very serious issue. Tooth loss, after all, is not the most significant potential outcome of gum disease. In fact, gum disease has long been linked and associated with serious conditions like heart disease, stroke, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, pre-term births and others.
Given the list of unpleasant symptoms of gum disease that are both socially undesirable and physically painful:
1) Red, swollen, and puffy gums
2) Horribly bad breath
3) Bleeding gum tissue
4) Tooth and bone loss
…it is truly a wonder to me, that in this day and age, gum disease is still the most common human disease in the world, affecting ~75% of the adult population even in North America.
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5:31pm: And that’s a wrap!!! We did it! This years PDC has been our best performance yet. We convinced a whole lot of people of the value of PeriowaveTM and how it will help their patients. We had a blast doing it too. Thank you to everyone for reading our live-blog. The PDC has officially come to a close and the PeriowaveTM team had an amazing time. Don’t worry though, we’ll be back again next time at the JDIQ. Until then, to get more updates from the team, don’t forget to visit this blog and check out our Facebook and Twitter pages too. Have a great night!!
The Periowave Team had a blast at the PDC! From Left: Peter Geimer, Linda O'Connor, Maria Castro, Leonie Markhorst, Kristine McKinnon, Tom Dawson. Absent: Michelle Janke and Leanne Carlson (they're on a flight back home!)
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6:03pm – And we’re done! Day 1 of the PDC is officially over and it was amazing. As exhausted as we are, the team had a fantastic day selling product, booking office visits, and educating dental professionals about PeriowaveTM. Now it’s time for us to head back to our hotel rooms, freshen up, and meet up later for a team-building dinner. Stay tuned to our blog tomorrow as we’ll bring you more updates live from day 2 of the PDC. A dentist told me there is an “Oxygen Bar” somewhere in the exhibit hall… I’ll have to find it tomorrow and post a pic.
Leanne and Maria pose at the end of day 1 of the PDC! Can't wait for tomorrow.
5:44pm – Only 15 mins to go! Day 1 of the PDC is winding down, but not before Leanne talks to more dentists about her implant case studies. It’s always interesting to see Leanne educate dentists about how they can improve their patient outcomes with PeriowaveTM. We’ve just booked this gentleman in for a Lunch and Learn!
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12:00pm: Today is the opening of the Japanese Clinical Institute of Periowave™ (JCIP) and we are live-blogging! This milestone event has been organized by Mr. Hiro Kusumoto of Wavelengths, Inc. in Tokyo. Wavelengths is the exclusive distribution partner of Periowave™ in Japan. Dr. Veronique Benhamou, Dr. Nick Loebel, and I came to Tokyo to speak today and support Kusumoto-san. Today’s event is expected to draw over 130 of the top clinicians in Japan and we are very excited to see the day progress. The Tokyo Marathon will take place today as well, and over 35,000 runners are expected to participate. Read More
It’s estimated that 85% to 90% of cases of bad breath or halitosis are down to bacteria living in the mouth. Bacteria consume food left in the mouth and excrete waste products, some of which are sulfur compounds. These compounds, called volatile sulfur compounds by dentists, are usually the reason for bad breath.
However not all of the waste products are sulfurous, as some have their own highly individual smells. These create odours which can mimic the smell of rotting meat, or worse. This is not very nice, but luckily these waste products are generally present at low levels and cannot be easily detected until these levels become elevated.
These waste products are produced by anaerobic oral bacteria which thrive in oxygen depleted environments. Even a thin layer of dental plaque can create ideal conditions for anaerobic bacteria. Although anaerobic bacteria will make a meal of just about anything, they do prefer high protein foods, and the worst offenders for causing bad breath are meat and fish which are easily trapped in between teeth, as well as to a lesser extent, dairy foods, pulses, nuts and cereal grains. In fact, many of the ingredients in deserts can be surprisingly high in protein.
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2012 begins with significant momentum for Periowave Dental Technologies, Inc. We have evolved and continue our commitment to superior customer care, innovation and expansion of Periowave™ and Photodynamics worldwide. We are re-organizing for a renewed global re-launch of Periowave™. Everything we do is based on our corporate Vision, Mission and Values. I would like to share with you now the Periowave™ Vision:
• Periowave™ is the Standard of Care in every operatory
• Periowave™ changes lives by improving overall health and well being
• Periowave™ reinforces Photodynamic Therapy worldwide.
So just what has been happening at Periowave™? Here are some highlights of the past few months. Adoption of our new Hand Held Laser and Advanced Formula Treatment kits is going very well in Canada and Japan. We are working through the regulatory approval processes in other geographies to expand our global customer base of Periowave™. I am pleased to introduce Michelle Janke as the Periowave™ National Sales Director for Canada. Ms. Janke has over 15 years of sales, sales management and marketing experience in health care and pharma fields. Michelle’s mandate is to manage the sales team to fully reach the potential of Periowave™ and Photodynamics in the Canadian dental market and help instil the finest customer service in the industry. Ms. Janke’s appointment is a key element of the company’s new commercialization strategy. We have hired four Territory Managers within Canada to service our customers, grow our installed base of Periowave™ users and to increase the usage Periowave™ among our existing customer base. Please see Michelle’s previous blog post with the exciting news regarding our Canadian sales team. Leanne Carlson has been appointed Periowave™ Clinical Training Manager and will be heading the RDH training program. In addition to her practice duties and the RDH program, Leanne continues to lecture on behalf of Periowave™ and support our base of users. Read More
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