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New Study Reveals Full Emotional Impact of Tooth Loss

Imagine losing your front tooth because of an injury. Do you see yourself still going to work or school the following day? Or would you rather stay at home until you get an immediate replacement?

Losing a tooth is never seen as a disability, but experts at Newcastle University in the UK were astounded by the impact tooth loss had on people. Thirty nine men and women who had experienced tooth loss and replacement from the North East of England participated in the study.  The study published in the journal Sociology of Health and Illness found that participants were devastated by their tooth loss. Some compared it to losing an arm or leg, others reported that they avoided leaving their homes.

Larry (65)
“It’s devastating when you break a tooth off, when that front one went, it was like losing one of the children. Honestly. Because I’d always had – I thought there was never a problem with those ones at the front … But no, it is devastating when you lose teeth because it’s part of you.”

Sandra (60)
“I always used to look in the mirror when I cleaned my teeth and go round my teeth like this and when I get to the gap, I go ‘Oh’. I feel sorry for myself actually. Do you understand that? It’s like… I feel like an old lady, suddenly I feel like an old lady. It’s aged me psychologically. Having this tooth missing.”

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Cut Sugar Intake to Keep Your Teeth for Life

Experts say that maintaining a limit of around five teaspoons of sugar a day - less than 5 per cent of the daily total calorie intake – will allow people to 'keep their teeth for life.'

Gone are the days when sweet treats like cake, pie and ice cream are saved for Christmas and birthdays. These have become everyday staples on our diet and experts are calling out to ‘reverse this trend.’

Researchers at Newcastle University are urging people to cut their sugar intake to just five teaspoons a day in order for their teeth to last a lifetime. The study commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) recognises the advantage of this ‘sugar limit’ by showing that when less than 10% of total calories in the diet is made up of free sugars there are much lower levels of tooth decay.

Newcastle University Professor of Nutrition and Oral Health, Prof. Paula Moynihan said: "People now expect to keep their teeth into old age and given that the effects of sugars on our teeth are lifelong, then limiting sugars to less than 5% of the calories we eat would minimize the risk of dental caries throughout life.”

The researchers also found that fluoride does not shield our teeth against cavities caused by sugar. Prof. Moynihan said: “Fluoride undoubtedly protects the teeth against decay but it does not eliminate tooth decay and it does not get rid of the cause – dietary sugars. Moreover, not everyone has good exposure to fluoride through drinking water and or toothpastes containing fluoride.”

The study was published in the Journal of Dental Research.
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The Science of Teeth Whitening

A useful phrase to remember is: “Any tea that will stain your cup will stain your teeth.” Read more about teeth whitening here.

Poor Oral Hygiene and Excess Sugar Linked to Heart Disease

The risk of heart diseases posed by saturated fats and salt in junk foods is a fact generally known and accepted by many. However, experts writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine have warned that excessive sugar – not just salt and fat – in junk foods can also trigger heart disease.

Junk food generally refers to food items that offer little nutritional value but are high in fat, sugar, salt and calories. Salted snacks, candies, fried fast food and sugary carbonated beverages are among the most commonly available junk foods even in hospitals and schools.

The paper says that gum disease, which can be triggered by excess sugar consumption, can also prompt an inflammatory response that leads to cardiovascular disease through a process called atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

Damage to the arteries occurs almost immediately after just one – that’s right, one – junk food meal.

Dr Ahmed Rashid, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge and co-author of the paper, said: “We know that junk food causes heart disease, we assume it’s through salt and fat but people don’t mention sugar, or if they do it is in terms of obesity.”

"As well as having high levels of fats and salt, junk foods often contain a great deal of sugar and the effect this has on oral health may be an important additional mechanism by which junk food elevates risk of CVD."

"Among different types of junk food, soft drinks have raised particular concerns and are the main source of free sugar for many individuals.”

According to a local survey, 40 per cent of parents in the UAE admitted that they often give in to their children’s demands for junk food. What about you?

See original article here.

5 Junk Food Quick Facts

1. People who drank four or more cups of soda or sweetened fruit drinks a day—including diet versions—had a much higher risk for depression.
2. Damage to the arteries occurs almost immediately after just one – that’s right, one – junk food meal.
3. Once children have eaten fast food, they consume more calories and fewer nutrients for the rest of the day.
4. Fast food typically lacks fiber. The less fiber children consume, the more likely they are to develop constipation.
5. Junk food and foods with high sugar content deplete energy levels and the ability to concentrate for extended periods of time.