Defeating Dry Mouth with Cell Therapy

If you’re suffering from a dry mouth, it may be because many of your salivary glands have ceased to function properly. When this happens, your mouth has a reduced ability to clean your teeth and fight infections. Unfortunately, when a salivary gland becomes inoperable, it is not very good at repairing itself. This is why research coming out of the University of Texas in San Antonio is so important.

This research, which is described in Tissue Engineering Part A, involves using cell therapy to build new salivary glands for patients. The team has had some success in constructing a scaffold of silk fibers, which they used to guide stem cells into place. After this is done, a nourishing medium is used to facilitate growth of the cells. The cells will then form into a solid structure, which could potentially be inserted into a patient. The silk would then biodegrade and leave the body.

The process it not yet ready for use on patients, but the team hopes to be able to produce a functional salivary gland in the near future. Meanwhile, if you are struggling with dry mouth, you can count on our Bellevue dentist to assure the continued health of your teeth and gums.

Avoid Dental Emergencies Over the Holidays

Dental emergencies can happen at any time. However, it’s not uncommon for a dentist’s office to see an influx of chipped or broken teeth during the holiday season. This is because the candies and other sugary foods we indulge in over the winter holidays are not the only threats to our oral health.

If you’re like many adults, the holidays are a time to kick back with a few alcoholic beverages. A few glasses of wine, a tumbler of eggnog, and a piece or two of rum cake can quickly impair your judgement and motor skills. During parties, it’s easy to drink for hours on end, consuming far more than our usual limits without even noticing it. This creates an environment where people are prone to hitting themselves in the teeth with their cups, walking into glass doors, or falling flat on their faces.

The best thing you can do to avoid an emergency this holiday season is to be mindful of your limits and drink in moderation. Try to limit your drinking to mealtimes so that it is easier for you to control your portions. Should the worst happen, visit Overlake Family Dental in Bellevue.

Holiday Stress vs. Your Teeth

It’s December, which means that many of us are deep into preparations for Christmas and winter vacation. This is a highly stressful time for most, and stress is very hard on your oral health. Too much stress encourages your gums to recede and your mouth to stop fighting infections, while aggravating tooth grinding and fostering mouth sores. So, how can you manage your seasonal stressors?

One of the best things you can do is to plan ahead for the holidays. Be mindful of how much you can handle, and never take on more than your known limitations. Identify people in your life whom you can trust, and delegate important tasks to them. Finally, if anything does go wrong, try to keep in mind that you shouldn’t be taking the holidays too seriously.

Another important thing to remember is that you should avoid letting your normal routine slide. Not only is your regular oral hygiene a big part of keeping your mouth clean, but it’s been demonstrated that maintaining a routine helps to reduce your stress.

Does Gum Disease Cause Pancreatic Cancer?

Brushing and flossing isn’t just a good way to keep strong teeth and healthy gums. Indeed, maintaining good oral health is an important part of maintaining good health throughout the rest of your body. When you suffer from tooth decay and gingivitis, you are inviting a list of other conditions upon yourself, one of which may be pancreatic cancer.

This is according to research done at the Harvard School of Public Health, which found that men who had a history of a type of gum disease known as periodontitis have a 64% greater chance of having pancreatic cancer, compared to men who never had periodontitis. The results of this study do not make it clear whether the gum disease is responsible for increasing your risk of pancreatic cancer, or if a risk factor of pancreatic cancer increases your vulnerability to periodontitis, but it seems evident that there is some sort of relationship.

One way or the other, regular dental care is a vital part of your general health. Contact our Bellevue dentistry clinic to schedule an appointment.

Are There Harmful Substances in Your Toothpaste?

Have you ever thought about what’s in your toothpaste? Though you may not be exposed to much of any particular ingredient during a single brushing, a harmful substance can quickly build up. It is widely recommended that everyone should brush their teeth at least twice a day. This adds up to over seven hundred brushings every year. With this in mind, it pays to look out for the following substances found in certain pastes which may have detrimental effects on your mouth:

  • Blue Dye No. 2: Some people believe that this coloring agent is connected to learning and behavior issues in children, as well as certain allergies.
  • Hydrated Silica: This substance is commonly used as an abrasive. Possibly a little too good at its job, too much hydrated silica may break down your enamel.
  • Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: A possible irritant for your skin and gum tissues, this chemical can invite canker sores.
  • Triclosan: According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the effects of this substance are not well understood. Further study is required.