Articles

PRINTED IN TCI WEEKLY NEWS
March 26th, 2012

This is the second and final article dealing with myths or misunderstandings around teeth and dental care.

MYTH: Any type of dental treatment is very painful.
TRUTH: This may well have been true in the past and unfortunately some people still believe this to be the case, often due to bad experiences as children. However, this really is not true any longer. Advanced dental technology, techniques and drugs- especially anesthetics- mean that nowadays any pain experienced during and after dental procedures can be effectively managed with a steady hand.

PRINTED IN TCI WEEKLY NEWS
March 12th 2016

In the clinic I sometimes get asked some rather strange questions or hear some strange statements around the subject of how people care for their teeth. Some of these things are ineffective but harmless but some things can actually do more harm than good. Over the next couple of articles I wanted to consider, and where necessary correct, some commonly held misconceptions or misunderstandings concerned with dental care or treatment.

MYTH: There is no need to take care of children’s teeth as they all fall out and are replaced by adult teeth anyway.
TRUTH: This is absolutely wrong.

PRINTED IN TCI WEEKLY NEWS
February 27th 201

A new study has recently been published in the UK which appears to show the benefit of chewing sugar- free gum as part of your dental hygiene regime. The study was conducted by the Peninsula Dental School at Plymouth University and The Wrigley Company, which, as a company that produces chewing gum, you cannot be criticized for thinking has a rather vested interest in demonstrating this benefit. So, what really is the truth here?

PUBLISHED IN TCI WEEKLY NEWS
February 6th 2015

New research has suggested that postmenopausal women who suffer from periodontal disease are at a significantly increased risk of developing breast cancer.

The study looked at the cases of breast cancer in more than seventy thousand women over almost seven years and identified those that had periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, were fourteen per cent more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer.

Researchers believe the link could be the result of a systemic inflammation which originates in the infected gums; they also suggest that bacteria from the mouth may enter the circulatory system through the gums which then affects the breast tissue. However, they do state that more research is required in order to identify the specific relationship.

PUBLISHED IN TCI WEEKLY NEWS
January 16th 2015

Many parents give their children fruit juice or smoothies to drink thinking that they are the healthy option over soda and other sugared drinks like Gatorade. Many of us have juicers or blenders at home and are able to make our own. However, whilst it is true these are generally more nutritionally beneficial and contain less artificial additives than soda, fruit juices and smoothies are still very high in sugar, a fact that is unknown or overlooked by many parents.

PUBLISHED IN TCI WEEKLY NEWS
December 12th 2015

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or something else, the holiday time is when we all want to celebrate the season, kick back a bit, enjoy a break and treat ourselves and our loved ones. For most of us this includes indulging in rich party foods, candy, chocolate, and the odd tipple (or two!)

I’m certainly looking forward to my Christmas lunch, mulled wine and mince pies!

PUBLISHED IN TCI WEEKLY NEWS
November 28th 2015

Recurrent mouth ulcers (recurrent aphthous stomatitis) are painful, round lesions that develop on the linings of the cheeks and lips, the tongue or the base of the gums. The tendency to develop these ulcers is inherited. There can be one or many ulcers at the same time, and they can be recurrent. Multiple ulcers are scattered across the lining of the mouth, not clustered.

Approximately 17% of the US population has recurrent aphthous stomatitis, which is classified into three categories:

• Minor ulcers are less than 1 centimeter in diameter and do not leave scars. The sores usually heal within two weeks.
• Major ulcers (also called Sutton’s disease) are 1cm or more in diameter, take longer than minor ulcers to heal and may leave scars.
• Herpetiform ulcers are clusters of dozens of smaller ulcers. This form is rare.

PUBLISHED IN TCI WEEKLY NEWS
November 14th 2015

Exposure to secondhand smoke at 4 months of age is associated with an increased risk of tooth decay at age 3 years, concludes a study published in The British Medical Journal recently.

There is a high level of dental decay (caries) in deciduous (baby) teeth in developed countries, at a rate of 20.5% in children aged 2-5 in the US and 25% in children aged 3 in Japan. While caries prevention in young children generally focuses on sugar restriction, oral fluoride supplementation and fluoride varnish, some studies have suggested that secondhand smoke plays a role.

PUBLISHED IN TCI WEEKLY NEWS
October 10th 2015

To celebrate World Smile Day last week oral health charity the British Dental Health Foundation asked everyone to forget the poor weather, terrible traffic, bad service and all of life’s other annoyances and really find something to smile about.

A simple smile can be the most powerful tool at our disposal… and we all have one. It can improve our mood, increase our self-esteem and it is also highly infectious!
So to spread a little happiness for World Smile Day the British Dental Health Foundation put together a short list of sure-fire things to truly put a smile on your face.

PUBLISHED IN TCI WEEKLY NEWS
August 1st 2015

Over the past couple of weeks at Mark Osmond Dental Clinic we have been hosting some students who are part of the Clinical Exploration Program, here on Provo. This is a great initiative that enables aspiring medical students in TCI to visit various different medical establishments and experience the day-to-day running of the organization. At my clinic the students are able to watch the full range of dental treatments plus see ‘behind the scenes’ at the equipment we use and the strict protocols we follow in order to maintain a hygienic environment and instruments.