Famous People Who started their careers as Dentists

There are some rather interesting famous people who started their careers as dentists.

Did you know that Edgar Buchanan the popular character actor started out as a successful dentist before moving to California in 1939.  He was probably best known for his memorable roles in 1960’s sitcoms like “Petticoat Junction,” “Green Acres,” and “The Beverly Hillbillies.”  Once the acting bug bit him, he left dentistry, but, interestingly enough, his wife actually took over his practice after he retired.

“Doc“ Holliday was known for his friendship with Wyatt Earp and their famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral.  Actually, Doc Holliday was a dentist who was trained in Pennsylvania and developed a booming little practice in Atlanta.  Unfortunately, he contracted tuberculosis and was forced to leave his practice and move out West, where the rest is history.

Mark Spitz was known for his record-breaking 7 gold medals won at the 1972 Olympics in swimming.  What you may not know is that he was actually accepted into dental school earlier, but he decided to pursue his Olympic swimming dreams instead. 

Follow us next week when I’ll continue with another group of people who were dentists before their fame.

For information about a wide variety of dental topics visit www.tavorminadentistry.com

Being Overweight Linked To Higher Risk Of Gum Disease

We all know that obesity is a major health concern for us Americans, but did you also know that obesity is now being linked to a higher likelihood of having gum disease!?  An increased risk for gum disease is added to the list of risk factors the obese have to face, such as developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain forms of cancer.

This new information was published in the January/February 2013 issue of General Dentistry, the clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry.   The obese produce excessive cytokines, which are proteins with inflammatory properties.  These cytokines may directly injure the gums or reduce blood flow to the gum tissues, thus promoting the development of gum disease.

More than half of our population age 30 and older is affected by gum disease, which is a chronic inflammatory infection that affects the gums and bone that support teeth.  Continued research will explore the relationship between obesity and gum disease.  It’s interesting that there is a great percentage of the population that suffers with both gum disease and obesity.

The best way to reduce the risk of developing gum disease is to have effective daily personal dental homecare that includes brushing, flossing, rinsing, and appropriate professional cleanings.

For more information about gum disease and other dental topics visit www.DrTav.com

Is Winter Affecting Your Fitness?

In our blog we usually talk about issues relating to dental health.  We have previously pointed out that there is a link between oral health and your overall health and that link is very important.  It’s also important to keep your overall health in mind and make it a priority.

I don’t know about you, but unfortunately I am affected by the winter weather when it comes to outside activity.  I really have a hard time taking the cold and don’t like to walk on snowy or icy streets.  I find it difficult to be cold at the beginning of winter outdoors activities, and then get too warm as a sweat builds up from activity.  Wearing layers helps, of course, but then I have to carry all the layers that come off!  I certainly admire people who make winter outdoors activities work!

Research has shown that less sunlight also affects our mood and our health.  When there’s no sunshine and just the cold, it’s time for some of us to just stay indoors and keep as warm as possible.  What can be done to avoid becoming sedentary if the winter weather affects you this way?  Find indoor activities you enjoy!

My favorite go-to indoors exercises are yoga and dancing.  I start the morning with 20 minutes of yoga to loosen up the stiffness from inactivity during sleep.  Then there’s dance to liven things up and increase circulation and strengthen and tighten muscles.There are so many DVD’s to pick from.  I enjoy Zumba and would love to learn belly dancing.  It may look easy, but it’s really quite a workout!

This only scratches the surface.  So put your thinking caps on if you won’t venture out in the cold, and find other ways to exercise that don’t involve the outdoors.

Remember to visit us at DrTav.com for dental information! 

Risks Of Lip Cancer

Long-term use of commonly prescribed blood pressure medications may be associated with an increased risk of lip cancer in non-Hispanic whites, according to a study published in the September 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

Researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research in Oakland compared 712 patients with lip cancer with 22,904 control participants in a susceptible group of non-Hispanic whites.

They determined  participants’ use of photosensitizing and nonphotosensitizing blood pressure medications.  The investigators analyzed use of each drug exclusively and regardless of use of the others and focused on duration of use.  They also controlled for cigarette smoking.

The results showed that the risk of developing squamous cell lip cancer was higher among those who received long-term treatment with photosensitizing blood pressure medications.  Nonphotosensitizing atenolol, when used alone, was not associated with an increased risk, the authors wrote.

Lip cancer remains rare, and an increased risk of developing it is generally outweighed by the benefits of these blood pressure drugs and other photosensitizing medications.  Physicians prescribing photosensitizing drugs should ascertain whether patients are at high risk of developing lip cancer by virtue of fair skin and long-term sun exposure and discuss lip protection with them.

Although not yet confirmed by clinical trials, likely preventive measures are simple: a hat with a sufficiently wide brim to shade the lips and lip sunscreens.

For information about other dental topics visit www.DrTav.com

Dental Disease And Poor Academic Performance Linked

Poor oral health may affect academic performance, according to a study published in the September issue of American Journal of Public Health.

Researchers from the Ostrow School of Dentistry of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles performed clinical dental examinations in 1,495 socioeconomically disadvantaged elementary and high school students in the Los Angeles Unified School District.  They then matched the children’s oral health status to academic achievement and attendance records.

Children who reported experiencing recent tooth pain were almost four times more likely than those without tooth pain to have a grade point average lower than the median grade point average of 2.8, the authors wrote.

In addition, the investigators found that elementary school students missed, on average, six days of school per year, and high school students missed 2.6 days.  For elementary students, 2.1 days of missed school were due to dental problems, and high school  students missed 2.3 days due to dental issues.  This shows that oral health problems are a very significant factor in school absences.

Accessibility of dental care was one factor in determining whether children missed school as a result of dental health problems, the authors wrote.  They found that 11% of children who had limited access to dental care – owing to lack of insurance, lack of transportation, or other barriers – missed school because of poor oral health.  In contrast, only 4% of children who had easier access to dental care missed school, the authors wrote.

For information about other dental topics visit www.TavorminaDentistry.com

Good Dental Health May Be Associated With Lower Dementia Risk

Elderly people who brush their teeth at least once a day may be at a lower risk of developing dementia, according to a study published online August 2 in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Researchers at the University of California in Irvine and Los Angeles conducted a study and followed up more than 5,000 residents of a retirement community from 1992 to 2010.   Participants’ ages ranged from 52 to 105 years at the start of the study, and their average age was 81 years.

At the beginning of the study, none of the participants had dementia, the authors wrote.   Eighteen years later, they used interviews, medical records and death certificates to determine that 1,145 participants had been diagnosed with dementia.

Of the 78 women who reported that they brushed their teeth less than once a day in 1992, 21 had dementia in 2010, or about one per 3.7 women, the authors wrote.  Among women who brushed at least once per day, about one in every 4.5 had developed dementia.  This translates to a 65% greater chance of developing dementia among those who reported brushing less than once a day, the authors wrote.

According to the researchers, the results for men were less pronounced.  Those who reported brushing less than once per day were only 22% more likely to have dementia in 2010 than were  men who reported brushing at least once a day.  This small effect could have been due to chance, the researchers pointed out.

For information about other dental topics visit www.DrTav.com

How to Prevent Dental Problems Early

If you are tempted to skip dental appointments because you don’t feel pain and can’t see anything wrong, think again.  What you can’t see or feel can cause the most trouble!  These dental problems can be treated, and often reversed, if spotted early.

Here’s What We Can See That You Can’t

• A dental examination can detect deterioration of fillings, crowns, and restorations.
• We may spot root cavities (decay on the roots of your teeth) which are exposed by receding gums.
• Close inspection can reveal periodontal pockets caused by gum disease, and we may even identify the early warning signs of oral cancer.
• We may find new decay under the gumline or hidden under existing fillings – two places you just can’t see!
• Your teeth may have hairline fractures or signs of enamel erosion.
• We can diagnose an impacted wisdom tooth that is ready to make its presence known … although you may not feel it yet.
• We can see if the position of an impacted wisdom tooth can threaten the healthy tooth in front of it.
• The onset of gum disease, called gingivitis in its early phase, often goes undetected by patients.  We can check for any tell-tale signs so that you can take action to prevent its progression toward periodontitis (which is the phase where bone loss begins and can ultimately result in tooth loss).

For information about other dental topics visit www.TavorminaDentistry.com