7 Oral Health Concerns for Those Over 50

When they say “age is all in your head,” they’re probably right. But then, your teeth ARE in your head -- so you likely can’t escape having to pay a little more attention to them after the age of 50. Although some oral health concerns are seen as common as we age, if you adopt a proactive mindset and educate yourself, these concerns do not have to be common for you. Anticipating and recognizing changes in your mouth can help you be on top of your health in this area -- so let’s take a look at the main ones you have to watch out for.

1. Dry Mouth: The most common oral health concern you’re likely to experience as you age is dry mouth. In the medical world, dry mouth goes by the name xerostomia, and can be brought on by a number of contributing factors, including the over-consumption of drying beverages like coffee and alcohol, as well as the frequent consumption of salty foods. Another big offender is the medication we take over a lifetime to treat various illness. And the list isn’t a short one – there are at least 400 medications that can contribute to xerostomia, including medications for high blood pressure and depression. 
2. Ill-fitting Dentures: First off, it’s important to note that the need for dentures is not a must as we age. Today, healthier living and better access to dental care has reduced the percentage of seniors wearing dentures to 27% from nearly 50% just a few decades ago. That said, should dentures be a part of your life, or that of a loved one, wearing properly-fitting dentures is critical. Sometimes, all that’s needed is a denture reline.Give us a call at 541-343-8527 to see if we can help. Dentures that cause pain or shift in the mouth tend to alter a person’s eating habits, which can lead to nutrition deficits if healthy, but hard-to-chew, foods are avoided. Ill-fitting dentures can also cause thrush.
3. Physical Obstacles to Good Oral Care: As we age, we sometimes find ourselves having to contend with physical ailments that limit our desire to maintain good oral care. Arthritis, vision loss, or injuries are a few of the most common. To combat these concerns, using a floss pick to get between teeth can be helpful, and the regular use of oral rinses can assist in dislodging difficult-to-remove food debris, while adding to the overall health of one’s mouth and gum tissue. Here’s how to choose the best mouth rinse for your needs!
4. Naturally Receding Gums: The old expression “long in the tooth” isn’t just a quaint idiom about how one accumulates wisdom with age – it also refers to how our teeth appear to “lengthen” as we age. In other words, it’s a fancy way of saying our gums are receding. While some degree of gum recession is indeed natural as we get up in years, this predisposes us to cavities along the root structure of the tooth where enamel doesn’t exist. So, as one ages, flossing, brushing and rinses are more important than ever.
5. Gum Disease: Natural gum recession is one thing, and a part of “growing up,” if you will. Gum disease, however, is preventable. So, if it's been longer than six months since you've seen us, please give us a call at 541-343-8527. Each of the above items in this list can contribute to gum disease, and good oral care can prevent it. Failing to do so can lead to a need for dentures at its most extreme, and pain and swollen gums at its least. We’d prefer you experience neither concern!
6. Tooth Loss: If a tooth is lost due to trauma or decay, and not replaced with an implant or other prosthetic, it can have serious complications for the health of the jawbone. Teeth can shift out of place and fall out, and bone tissue can be resorbed back into the body. Not a good thing.
7. Loss of Insurance Coverage: Retirees without dental coverage can sometimes cover the expense of dental care on their own; sometimes they cannot. But a lack of funds to take care of one’s teeth can be devastating to the health of our mouths, and our overall health. So we need to plan for two things: a care routine that allows us to take care of our teeth as much as humanly possible and some sort of financial backup plan for when problems do arise. If you are interested in financing, our office offers Care Credit for payment plans. Please contact us at 541-343-8527 if you would like further information.

Gum Disease and Pancreatic Cancer

New study links pancreatic cancer to 2 types of bacteria found in gum disease

By Dr. David B. Samadi

 Published June 07, 2016 

 FoxNews.com

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Gum disease may cause more than just bad breath, according to a new study presented at the 2016 American Association for Cancer Research meeting, which points to a connection between periodontal disease as a potential early marker for pancreatic cancer. This could pave the way for early detection of pancreatic cancer – one of the most deadly forms of the disease –because of the advanced stage at which it is often diagnosed.

It is estimated that in 2016, 53,070 new cases of pancreatic cancer will be diagnosed with only 7.7 percent of victims surviving 5 years.

Researchers from New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center with a grant from the National Cancer Institute, found people with two types of periodontal disease-causing oral bacteria have a higher prevalence of pancreatic cancer than those who did not have the gum disease.

The two types of periodontal disease bacteria the research team found werePorphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. Saliva samples came from 361 individuals who developed pancreatic cancer and samples from 371 matched healthy individuals in large-scale, long-term prospective cohort studies. The DNA extracted from the saliva was sequenced, and variances in age, race, sex, smoking status, alcohol use, body mass index and diabetes were controlled.

Participants with Porphyromonas gingivalis in the microbiome of their oral cavity had a 59 percent greater risk of pancreatic cancer than participants who did not have it. The association of participants with Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans was not as statistically significant even though they had at least a 50 percent increased relative risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

These findings support the current study’s hypothesis and previous research showing that people who have developed pancreatic cancer tended to have poor oral health. The researchers reasoned that periodontitis, which is inflammation of the tissue around the teeth often causing shrinkage of the gums and loosening of the teeth, is due to oral bacteria dysbiosis. Dysbiosis is a term for an unhealthy change in the normal bacterial ecology of a part of the body, such as the mouth.

Many previous studies have shown a strong relationship between associated periodontal disease with pancreatic cancer..
Findings from a 2013 European prospective cohort study showed having high levels of P gingivalis antibodies in blood caused a 2-fold increase of developing pancreatic cancer. Another 2007 prospective cohort study looked at over 50,000 male health professionals with a history of periodontitis and found a 64 percent increased risk of pancreatic cancer. Both of these previous studies however, were unable to determine which came first, poor oral health or pancreatic cancer.

This new study from NYU is the first study to determine that periodontal dysbiosis does in fact precede the development of pancreatic cancer and does not develop after the diagnosis. This was determined by looking at the oral samples of saliva collected prior to the onset of pancreatic cancer confirming the positive association with P gingivalis.

Researchers pointed out that this finding does not confirm that the two periodontal disease-causing bacteria cause pancreatic cancer. Rather, they most likely correlate it with systemic inflammation occurring within the body, known to be a precursor for developing cancer. Having periodontal disease-causing bacteria in the mouth may increase the likelihood of inflammation.

Symptoms of pancreatic cancer
The pancreas is located deep within the abdomen sandwiched between the stomach and the spine, with a small portion of it nestled in the curve of the upper portion of the small intestine. It functions as a glandular organ having an essential role in converting the food we eat into fuel for the body’s cells. It has an exocrine function of secreting digestive enzymes into the small intestine helping with digestion, and an endocrine function of releasing the hormone insulin into the bloodstream, a critical controller of blood sugar levels.

Tumors of the pancreas are rarely palpable, which is why most symptoms of pancreatic cancer do not appear until the tumor has grown large enough to interfere with the functioning of the pancreas, or has spread to other nearby organs such as the stomach, liver, or gallbladder. Symptoms of pancreatic cancer may include:

·         Upper abdominal pain spreading to the back

·         Jaundice or yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes

·         Diminished appetite and unexplained weight loss

·         Fatigue

·         Digestive difficulties

·         Nausea

·         New onset of Type 2 diabetes in people over 50

Risk factors which may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer include:

·         Cigarette smoking

·         Age – over 80 percent of pancreatic cancers develop between the ages of 60 and 80

·         Race – more common in African Americans

·         Gender – more common in men

·         Religious background – more common in Ashkenazi Jews 

·         Chronic pancreatitis

·         Diabetes

·         Obesity

·         Diet – diets high in meats, cholesterol, fried foods and nitrosamines 

·         Family history

Future additional studies are planned to determine if periodontal disease is a cause of pancreatic cancer. Until then, good oral hygiene including regular brushing and flossing of the teeth and visits to a dentist are recommended. If a person does have periodontal disease, they should be seen regularly by a periodontist for regular cleanings and checkups to get the condition under control.

Anyone who has any of the potential symptoms of pancreatic cancer should make an appointment with their physician for an evaluation and testing as soon as possible.
 

Dr. Samadi is a board-certified urologic oncologist trained in open and traditional and laparoscopic surgery and is an expert in robotic prostate surgery. He is chairman of urology, chief of robotic surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital and professor of urology at Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine. He is a medical correspondent for the Fox News Channel's Medical A-Team and the chief medical correspondent for am970 in New York City. Learn more atroboticoncology.com. Visit Dr. Samadi's blog at SamadiMD.com. Follow Dr. Samadi on Twitter and Facebook.

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The fee for professional in-office whitening treatment in our office is $300, which includes custom trays to take home to use with whitening gel to boost the results and keep your teeth looking great. Call us today to schedule your appointment and look forward to a beautiful smile for all of your special occasions!