Your oral hygiene is about more than just keeping your teeth healthy. After all, your mouth has a significant connection to the rest of your body, and problems with your teeth and gums can easily translate to health problems elsewhere. If you fail to stave off gum disease, you may even be putting yourself at an increased risk of serious cognitive disorders.

This is according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Central Lancashire School of Medicine and Dentistry. This study demonstrated that age-related brain diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease may be directly linked to poor dental health. Researchers looked at samples of brain tissue taken from ten healthy brains and ten brains taken from people who had struggled with such diseases; in four of the brains that suffered from dementia, researchers discovered signs of a type of oral bacteria that is known to thrive in mouths afflicted with gum disease.

The specific link between gum disease and brain disorders is not well understood. It could be that poor dental health causes such disorders, or it may only be that it serves to aggravate an existing condition. One way or another, though, it is clear that your dental appointments have an important relationship with your mental health. Contact our Bellevue dentist to schedule an appointment today!

The London Olympics of 2012 attracted many athletes in peak physical condition from throughout the world. Unfortunately, despite their well-toned bodies and exceptional constitutions, their impressive health did not extend to their teeth and gums. It was observed that about a fifth of the participating athletes exhibited some form of oral health problem. Some had toothaches, others bleeding gums, and some were suffering so badly that it threatened to disqualify them from the games.

Indeed, the athlete’s lifestyle is not conducive of good oral health. A big part of the problem is the diet employed by the average athlete. When quick energy is a concern, you tend to consume a carbohydrate-heavy diet, which lends itself to tooth rot.

Further, when you exercise, the water in your body is expelled. Taken to an extreme, this dehydrates you and impairs your mouth’s ability to protect itself from decay. It also doesn’t help that many athletes will try to replenish their fluids by drinking sugary sports drinks.

If you’re an athlete, be sure that you’re giving yourself the dental care that you need. Consult our Bellevue dentist to learn more.

If you’re suffering from tooth decay, you may want to take a look at what foods may be to blame. One of the obvious culprits is candy and other sugary substances. If you’re already cutting back on the sugar, though, you may want to look at other potential tooth-rotters, like pickles.

Though pickles may not occur to you as a food with strong tooth-rotting potential, a diet rich in pickled substances can take its toll on your enamel fairly quickly. Though light in sugars or carbs, the vinegar and other substances used in the pickling process makes them highly acidic. This acid can weaken your tooth enamel just as easily as the acid secreted by your oral bacteria does

In a study conducted in 2004, British researchers took a look at the dining habits of a selection of teenagers. It was found that those who ate a significant number of pickles experienced more tooth decay than others. If you, too, enjoy eating pickles every day, be sure to be mindful of your habits and never skip your regular cleanings at our Bellevue dentist.