Did you know your smile is a reflection of your overall health?
October is National Dental Hygiene Month and the South Dakota Dental Hygienists' association would like to share information about oral health as it relates to your total health. Studies show that oral disease has been linked to diabetes, premature low birth weight babies and heart disease.
The American Dental Hygienist Association's focus for 2005 is "Tobacco use and Heart Disease" and educating the public on how these link to oral health. Not only can smoking and smokeless tobacco cause heart disease, but tobacco use can also lead to oral related cancer and increased risk for periodontal disease.
The SDDHA believes it is important for parents to know that 90% of smokers start before the age of 21 and often times, children have the misconception that smokeless tobacco is "safer" than smoking. Smokeless tobacco can be more addictive than smoking, thus, that much more difficult in cessation efforts.
The dental hygienist can partner with parents to directly speak with children about the harmful effects of tobacco. Regular dental hygiene visits are a unique way for a "one on one" visit with young adults to help spread the word about harmful effects of tobacco. This message can easily be reinforced at each successive visit.
Most young adults place a high value on the appearance of their smile so the dental hygiene appointment is a great intervention setting for adolescents in a non-threatening environment to discuss a yet another approach to the tobacco free message.
Looking for a healthier alternative treat to hand out this Halloween?
Start a trend in your neighborhood and help those trick-or-treaters by giving out products containing Xylitol. The little Ghosts and Goblins actually like the treats because Xylitol really tastes (and looks) like sugar. The most common and easy to find Xylitol containing product is chewing gum, but you can also find candies and mints.
Xylitol has been shown to reduce dental decay and in some cases even reverse the decay process. Xylitol is a natural sugar substitute often found in corn cobs, fruits, berries, mushrooms, and tree bark. It is not foreign to the body as it is used in everyday metabolism. As little as 15 grams of Xylitol daily can reduce cavities up to 76%. Studies also show the antibacterial effect of Xylitol can also help prevent ear infections.
Xylitol is so beneficial to the reduction and reversal of dental caries you will be seeing and hearing about it in the coming months from manufacturers as more and more products will be available.
What a great way to help keep the neighborhood trick-or-treaters healthy!
Submitted by:
Suzanne R. Luken, RDH
President, South Dakota Dental Hygienists' Association
