Could yogurt make you smile?
April 1st 2008 04:20
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From Real Age available free on the Web.
You brush, you floss, you rinse, you spit -- all for the sake of your pearly whites. But do you eat yogurt?
Might want to consider it. Research shows that yogurt eaters are less likely to suffer from gum disease and tooth loss.
A Little Healthy Bacteria
It only took a couple of ounces of yogurt daily for people's mouths to benefit. Researchers speculate that there's something about the healthy bacteria in yogurt that helps protect teeth and gums. They may help balance out the bad bacteria in your mouth, just the way they do in your gut.
Beneficial Bugs
Yogurt fortified with healthy bacteria may help you ward off certain illnesses.
In a recent study, researchers gave workers a daily dose of either Lactobacillus reuteri, a type of beneficial bacteria, or a placebo for 80 days. Only about 10 percent of workers who took L. reuteri came down with a respiratory or gastrointestinal infection that caused them to miss work; more than 26 percent of the workers who took the placebo fell ill.
Beneficial bacteria inhabit your intestines, preventing infection by harmful bacteria and aiding in digestion. Antibiotic use or bouts of diarrhea or vomiting can disrupt the balance of intestinal bacteria, leaving you more vulnerable to illnesses. Lactobacillus reuteri, a type of beneficial bacteria, may help prevent harmful bacteria from colonizing in the gastrointestinal tract and enhance the function of immune cells that combat viral infections. Not all kinds of yogurt contain L. reuteri. Read yogurt labels carefully.
5 Dental Do's for Healthier Teeth
* Skip sodas -- the diet kind, too.
* Drink this tart juice -- it can help thwart decay.
* Consider chewing gum with vitamin C in it.
* Buy yourself a pack of straws.
* Don't be an overachiever when you brush your teeth.
Juice for the Tooth
Certain tart beverages could be a boon to your smile.
Compounds in red cranberry juice appear to keep bacteria from sticking to teeth, which could thwart plaque formation and tooth decay, a recent study suggests. Stick to low-sugar or diet varieties to avoid the dental damage that can be caused by consuming too many sugary treats.
Regular dental cleanings coupled with brushing (at least twice per day) and flossing (at least once per day) will help keep tooth decay at bay by removing plaque from oral surfaces. Plaque contributes to gingivitis, a kind of gum inflammation that can lead to periodontal disease. Researchers also have connected oral conditions such as periodontal disease to an increased risk for heart problems, so keeping your smile healthy may help keep your heart healthy, too. In addition to poor oral hygiene, other factors that may increase a person's risk of gum diseases include smoking; having certain medical conditions, such as diabetes; using certain medications; and neglecting regular dental care
Find out why having healthy teeth can mean having a healthy heart, too
Healthy Teeth, Healthy Heart
Find out how flossing could save more than your smile.
Written by RealAge, Inc., peer-reviewed by Dr. Axel Goetz, July 2004
By the time we reach adulthood, most of us know that the consequences of not flossing are pretty tough on our teeth. Daily flossing is a vital part of dental care and promotes healthy teeth and gums. Sounds easy enough. But what if you knew that this simple daily ritual not only protects your mouth, but also may protect your heart and arteries? Suddenly, that little white string becomes more like a lifeline.
A blow to your smile
When we don't floss regularly, our teeth can really suffer. A soft, sticky, bacterial film begins to accumulate on neglected teeth, especially below the gum line. Eventually the acids in these soft, sticky plaques begin to destroy the outer enamel of teeth. Gums may become irritated and bleed. Breath may start to smell bad. And after a while, these soft, sticky plaques will harden into crusty yellow or brown deposits—called tartar—and make it even easier for more plaque to stick and accumulate on teeth. Eventually, dental diseases that lead to tooth loss can take hold, resulting in a failing smile and possibly even diminished eating function or speech impairment.
As if all of this were not reason enough to floss, now research suggests that regular flossing may have health impacts beyond your mouth. Here are three ways flossing may protect your health:
1. Flossing may protect your heart
True, lack of flossing can lead to gingivitis and periodontal diseases, but the consequences of poor dental health may reach beyond your mouth and to your heart. Research has shown a distinct connection between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease.
Men under age fifty with advanced periodontal disease were found to be 2.6 times more likely to die prematurely and 3 times more likely to die of heart disease compared to men with healthy teeth and gums.
In one emergency room study, patients who came to the ER with chest pain were found to have a higher rate of recurring gum infections. Researchers are not sure what is behind the connection, but the worrisome data makes the simple task of flossing a no-brainer for optimal health.
2. Flossing may protect your arteries
Flossing and clogged arteries also may be related. Research has revealed that the same bacteria in tooth plaque also are found in the deadly fat deposits that obstruct arteries. Inflammation is a crucial link in the causal chain that leads to plaque and arterial obstruction.
Researchers speculate that bacteria from the mouth may enter the bloodstream and contribute to inflammation and artery clogging.
3. Flossing may reduce your risk of diabetes and its complications
If you already have certain health concerns, flossing may help protect
you from any further health complications. For example, periodontal disease appears to make insulin resistance worse. When cells require more insulin to take up blood sugar from the blood stream, blood
insulin and eventually blood sugar levels will rise. Increases in blood insulin and blood sugar levels both have undesirable effects, the best known being the development of type 2 diabetes.
To the extent that good oral hygiene reduces plaque, gingivitis, periodontal disease, and the accompanying inflammatory processes, proper oral hygiene may in turn improve insulin sensitivity of liver and muscle cells and reduce blood sugar levels and the need for insulin.
Let the string lead the way
More and more research is pointing to ties between oral health and overall health. Even when taking into consideration other bad health habits such as smoking or excessive drinking, studies have still shown a strong link between periodontal disease and other diseases. Short of a visit to the dentist, no other single personal oral healthcare habit alone has the same ability to remove plaque between teeth and below your gum line.
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