Your Oral Health = Your Overall Health

Sounds surprising, but it is true! Your oral health reflects details of your current overall health. Your oral health also could be a contributing problem to your overall health. This is why Dr Tony Ancell and his team at Woollahra Dental Practice have a holistic view. They look beyond just your teeth and gums to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

Did you know that a reduction in salvia flow occurs when you are taking certain medications? Often it is taking antihistamines, diuretics, painkillers or decongestants that are to blame. When we produce less saliva we are not able to protect our teeth from an overgrowth of bacteria. Saliva is a very powerful tool in our oral health system as it neutralizes acids and helps wash food away. 

Did you know that what you eat and drink, such as sugar (not just sweets but fruits and breads too) can play a harmful role in the formation of tooth decay? Did you know that by having red or inflamed gums you are putting your overall health at risk? It halts your immune system.

When our oral health defence system is down, oral bacteria, plaque and biofilms start to reek havoc on our systemic health.  Systemic is defined in The American Heritage Medical Dictionary as; “of, relating to, or affecting the entire body or an entire organism especially the nervous system”.  Numerous amounts of research has shown that your oral health might be affected by, or contribute to various systemic diseases and conditions.

Conditions/Diseases	Oral Health Affected/Contributed
Cardiovascular disease	Twice as likely to suffer a heart attack if you have periodontal disease.
Diabetes	The immune system is compromised and infections such as gum disease occur. Gum disease has been linked to disrupting the ability to control blood sugar levels.
Endocarditis	When bacteria from another part of the body enters the bloodstream, such as from periodontal disease, risk is increased.
Alzheimer’s disease	The American Psychological Association research showed tooth loss before the age of 35 (often due to  periodontal disease) puts you at a higher risk of experiencing  Alzheimer’s
Stroke	Research published in Clinical Advisor has shown the oral bacteria makes a person more susceptible to developing blood clots.
Osteoporosis	Has been linked with periodontal bone loss.
HIV/AIDS	According to WebMd oral mucosal lesions are often present.
Premature birth/low birth weight	Data gathered by the Australian Dental Association on mothers with periodontitis showed an increase risk of premature birth/low birth weight than mothers who had good oral health.
Sjogren’s syndrome	An immune system disorder that causes dry mouth.

Acid Reflux and Sleep Apnoea Go Hand in Hand!

 There have been numerous studies and data collected on people who experience acid reflux. The medical term for acid reflux that occurs frequently is called gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD). In a study of sixty million Americans who were diagnosed with GERD, 80% of them reported their symptoms were worse at night, according to WebMD.

The College of Gastroenterology is always searching for reasons to discover why there is such a strong correlation between sleep apnoea and acid reflux. Turns out, according to gastroenterologist Ken DeVault, MD of the Mayo Clinic, “with sleep apnoea, people tend to breathe harder because their breathing has stopped, and that could induce reflux to flow into the oesophagus”.1  In other studies by physicians, night-time reflux  was discovered as often being a primary cause of sleep disruption.

 
If you suffer from both problems, there is good news. There are treatment options that the team at Woollahra Dental Practice can help you with because they have a holistic approach.
Dr Tony Ancell has a special interest in Dental Sleep Medicine and can provide you with an at home sleep study and a sleep appliance, such as an Airway Ease dental appliance, to help you manage your sleep apnoea. Managing your sleep apnoea may be a solution to reducing/eliminating your night-time acid reflux as well. At required times referral to respiratory sleep physician can be made to our allied network of health practitioners.

Give Woollahra Dental Practice a call today 02 9363 5690, to book your initial consultation to improve your oral health and your overall health. Learn how it is possible to have a restful night’s sleep again.

Figure 1: Stomach acid travels up the oesophagus causing sleep disruption, especially when the airway is already narrow, making night-time breathing difficult. 

Attack by Acid!

There is a cause of permanent and severe loss of tooth structure you need to know about. The culprit: gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) also known as “heart burn” (1).

The name alone sounds threating, which it is. Even scarier than the name, is the fact that it is a common condition that occurs when stomach acids travel upward into the esophagus, which leads to acid reflux-induced erosion of your teeth!

According to the National Science Foundation, acid in the stomach is extremely low (meaning highly acidic), having a pH level ranging from of 1.0-3.0.

The Australian Dental Association states tooth enamel becomes soft and can be easily damaged when the pH level in your mouth drops below 5.5.

Our teeth are constantly being exposed to food and beverages with a low pH level (2) that put our enamel at risk of erosion.


Every time we enjoy a sports drink, fruit juice, or caffeinated beverage the pH level in our mouth drops dramatically. Ironically, it’s those same beverages that often prompt acid reflux to occur.  WebMD states, fatty foods, dairy, citric fruits, tomatoes, alcohol and even chocolate are the biggest triggers of reflux.

When you experience acid reflux, your teeth are at higher risk of chemical erosion occurring. Over time the root surfaces of your teeth can become exposed. If left untreated the tooth  
structure itself becomes compromised and could require complex dental treatment such as veneers, crowns, fillings or potentially a root canal treatment.

Luckily, the team at Woollahra Dental Practice can help detect early signs of acid reflux-induced erosion during your regularly six monthly hygiene appointments. Taking pro-active measures for the wellbeing of your teeth is vital to the longevity of your smile. At your appointment you will be given valuable information on what you can do at home in between visits to keep your enamel strong.