NYTimes “Well” Blog: Dentist Should Be Consulted Before Any Whitening Procedure

The New York Times (3/21, Saint Louis) “Well” blog considered “the healthiest and most effective way to whiten” teeth. The Times reports that “higher concentrations” of hydrogen peroxide “can be delivered in a dentist’s office, so those procedures tend to be quicker than drugstore aids.” While adding light to bleaching procedures is popular, “the light doesn’t really do anything, but the marketing behind it is so powerful,” director of the Gavel Center for Restorative Research at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Dr. Ronald D. Perry, said. Additionally, adding heat and lasers “may have an adverse effect on pulpal tissue,” according to a 2007 systematic review of evidence in the journal Dental Materials. Still, the Times reported, “Before any bleaching, even when it’s done at home, a dentist should check fillings and crowns, because, Dr. Perry said, applying peroxide to a restoration that is no longer perfectly sealed will be very sensitive.”

Nine-Year-Old Michigan Girl Founds Oral-Health Conscious Sucker Company

The Washington Post reports that a 9-year-old Michigan girl has created a sugar-free sucker “designed to help improve mouth health” called Zollipops. The suckers “use a natural sweetener called xylitol” to “restore the mouth’s pH — a measure of acidity — to a neutral level,” which “helps prevent tooth decay and cavities.” In designing the suckers the girl and her father meet with dentists in order to learn the science of oral health and “spent hours testing different ingredients and packaging before they came up with a product ready for shelves.” The company will also donate 10 percent of its profits to oral health education, and the 9-year-old founded 100,000 Smiles, an effort to teach kids about preventing tooth decay, donating 100,000 Zollipops in the process.

Nearly half of adults have periodontal disease

Over 47 percent of the U.S. adult population have mild, moderate or severe periodontitis. In addition, nearly two-thirds (64%) of adults over age 65 have moderate to severe forms of periodontal disease.

These findings are based on epidemiologic data from the 2009–2010 National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey (NHANES). The new CDC study is the first to use the FMPE protocol on a national probability sample from the U.S. civilian population. As noted by the study authors, using the FMPE protocol rather than a partial-mouth evaluation provided “optimal surveillance measurements for assessing the burden of periodontitis across the U.S. population.”

The CDC researchers determined that 47.2 percent of 2009–2010 participants aged 30 years and older exhibit some form of periodontitis (mild, moderate or severe). This means that 65 million U.S. adults over age 30 are estimated to have periodontitis, and 64 percent of adults over age 65 have moderate to severe forms of the disease.

The CDC also found oral health disparities among racial and ethnic groups, and persons with lower education and income. These researchers also indicate that previous national surveys may have significantly underestimated the true burden of periodontitis in the adult U.S. population.

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease characterized by loss of connective tissue between teeth and gums, but this condition can be successfully treated and managed. Given the considerable burden of periodontitis, dentists are encouraged to include a periodontal assessment in the clinical examination of adults of all ages, especially middle-aged and elderly patients, and to provide or refer patients for appropriate therapy when indicated. To maintain oral health and prevent periodontal disease, the ADA promotes the importance of good oral hygiene and regular dental care. The ADA also encourages dentists to take thorough health histories, evaluate patients for oral diseases, promote tobacco cessation, and identify risk factors that may predispose patients to periodontal disease.