For more on this story, please view the amazing video of the procedure …..

This is an amazing new twist on the Michael Jackson saga. To all my readers, I had to post this as I found it fascinating what lengths a person will go to when seeking to feed an addiction .

Although I do not know or claim that this story is factual, I read this on the respected website About.com and have cited the story as it appeared on their website . I have included the entire story as is giving due credit to About.com and the author. Please feel free joining their blog for more information.

http://www.about.com/

Dentistry Blog

By Shawn Watson, About.com Guide to Dentistry

Michael Jackson and the Dentist

Monday July 13, 2009

TMZ.com is reporting an interesting twist in the Michael Jackson saga. The claim is that Jackson targeted dentists in order to fuel his apparent drug addiction to anesthetics, in fact the article states that “Several Los Angeles doctors have told TMZ it was known in medical circles that Jackson used dentists to feed his habit.”

Among the plethora of sedatives believed to be used by Jackson are Demerol and Propofol. Now, if a patient were to request either one of these drugs from any one of the dentist that I worked for over the years, red flags would definitely go up. You see, when a dentist diagnoses a patient with an oral condition that is causing extreme pain, such as a toothache, Demerol would never be prescribed. Even after wisdom teeth removal, the strongest drug I ever saw prescribed was Percocet. So why would Jackson think to “doctor shop” for drugs at a dental office? There are reports swirling around out there that say Lidocaine was found next to Jackson’s body. Lidocaine is used by dentists as a local anesthetic, to numb the teeth and gum tissue before procedures such as wisdom teeth extractions, root canals, and other forms of oral surgery. The same reports suggest that Propofol , an intravenous (IV) drug, burns the skin when injected, and Lidocaine is used to numb the site of the injection in order to reduce any pain from the burning sensation. Perhaps it was Lidocaine he was after, although anesthetics are never distributed to patients for “home use”.

Will we never know the exact details surrounding the circumstances leading up to, and ending with Jackson’s untimely death? Probably not, I just hope the people responsible for enabling him to continue with his apparent drug addiction, are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Yes, we know how great those sports drinks taste after a hard workout or simply to help quench your thirst especially in those hot summer months, but did you ever realize that prolonged use of some of these sports drinks might weaken your natural tooth structure.

What could cause this you may ask, well, it’s the citric acid found in many of the famous sports drinks that we all enjoy, especially after a workout or sports event, and yes, maybe even the ones you have with your lunch or dinner.

We all see the athletes on television who consume these sports drinks to help re-energize and re-hydrate them. Well, many of these re-energizers contain citric acid, which recent studies at the New York University College of Dentistry have found can cause excessive tooth enamel wear. Dentists call it erosion of the enamel.

What exactly is erosion, well it is a gradual loss of the normally hard surface of the tooth due to chemical, not bacterial processes.

Because of the possible excessive affects of the citric acid on the enamel surface where their exists a chance that the enamel could become a bit softer, it is advised that one not brush immediately after drinking the sports drink (s) that contain citric acid. It is best to allow the natural minerals in saliva to remineralize the enamel-which should take approximately 30 minutes after finishing the drink.

Then one should brush as normal.

Mark Wolff, DDS, professor and chairman of the department of cardiology and comprehensive care at New York University College of Dentistry suggests the following:

Drink sports drinks in moderation.

Wait at least 30 minutes before brushing your teeth to allow softened enamel to reharden.

If you drink a lot of sports drinks, ask your dentist if you should use acid-neutralizing remineralizing toothpaste to help reharden soft enamel.

Dr. Wolff’s coinvestigators on the study were Mr. Michael Rice, a student at the University of the Pacific Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco; Mr. Glenn Canares, a student at the NYU College of Dentistry; and Dr. Mitchell S. Pines, a Clinical Professor of Biomaterials & Biomimetics at the NYU College of Dentistry.

As always and in fairness to the great sports drinks on the market, further studies are needed to conclusively determine if this occurs with all of us, including myself, who highly enjoy such beverages.

Source: Medicine.net

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=99119#

Canker Sores
Recurrent canker sores are one of the most common inflammatory conditions of the mouth, afflicting about 20 percent of the general population. The medical terms for canker sores are aphthous stomatitis or aphthae.
Canker sores begin as small oval or round reddish swellings, usually on the movable parts of the mouth such as the tongue and the inside linings of the lips an cheeks. These swellings usually rupture within a day, are covered by a thin white or yellow membrane, and become edged by a red halo. The size of the sores varies from being an eighth of an inch wide in minor infections to an inch and a quarter wide in more severe cases. Fever is rare and there rarely is an association of canker sores with other diseases. Usually a person will only experience a single or a few canker sores at a time. These sores generally heal within 2 weeks. Severe forms of the sores may leave scars.
Most people experience their first bout with canker sores when they are between the ages of 10 and 20 although children as young as 2 years of age may develop the condition. The frequency of canker sore recurrences varies considerably. Some people may only experience one or two episodes a year, whereas others may have a continuous series of canker sores. Most people experience tingling or pain in the area of the mouth where canker sores later develop.
What Causes Canker Sores?
It is not known what causes canker sores in all patients although more than one cause is likely even for individual patients. Attempts to find bacteria or viruses linked with the disease have not proven fruitful although an allergy to a type of bacteria commonly found in the mouth may cause some people to develop canker sores. The sores might also be an allergic reaction to certain foods eaten. In addition, there is research that suggests canker sores may be caused by a faulty immune system that uses the body’s defenses against disease to attack and destroy the normal cells of the mouth or tongue.
British studies indicate that canker sores in about 20 percent of all patients are partially caused by nutritional deficiencies, especially a lack of vitamin B12, folic acid and iron. Similar studies performed in the United States, however, have not confirmed these findings. In a small percentage of patient’s canker sores occur in conjunction with gastrointestinal problems, such as an inability to digest certain cereals, and thus appear to be part of a generalized disorder of the digestive tract.
Female sex hormones apparently play a role in causing canker sores. Many women only have bouts of canker sores during certain phases of their menstrual cycles. The majority of women, in addition, experience improvement or remission of their canker sores during pregnancy. In clinical studies, researchers have also used hormone therapy to successfully treat some women.
Both emotional stress and injury to the mouth, such as scratching by abrasive foods or a stray toothbrush bristle, can trigger outbreaks of canker sores although these factors probably do not cause the disorder.

• Men brushed twice daily only 66% of the time.
• Women on the other hand brushed twice daily 86% of the time.
• Men replace their toothbrushes on average, every 5 months.
• Women replace their toothbrushes every 3-4 months, which the ADA recommends.

Of all those surveyed, it was found that Americans need to do a much better job flossing their teeth. The survey found that 49%  flossed once or more per day.  Of those surveyed, 1 out of 3 believed that if they saw a bit of blood in the sink, it was no reason to be concerned and was probably normal. This is in no way normal and could certainly signify  gum disease or other health problems.  Lets all start smiling again and hopefully make the world a happy place again !

Source: ADA.org   Click here to view the embedded video.

I would like to welcome you to the new Floss.com! We have decided to use a blog format so that our thousands of daily visitors can feel more at home by asking questions, placing posts so that others may help or  to simply  to stay informed. My team and I will try to bring you the most up-to-date information regarding Oral Health. With so much recent news and research on the link between systemic health and dental health, it is important that our visitors truly understand what  is going on. The most important being the link between heart disease and gum disease. Please take a moment and join the blog so that we can keep you informed. You can also access the toolbars at the top of the website and read the hundreds of pages of information that Floss.com provides to our visitors. We will be bringing you some great information and we will be adding video soon so that you can come to Floss.com and see first hand what procedures dentists perform. The animated videos will provide  you a much better understanding of the daily dental procedures you hear or read about. From understanding what a cavity is  to what a dental implant is, you will  be able to visually understand by simply clicking on the animation buttons to view the various procedures.

I will also be bringing you the Floss.com Internet TV show, where I will discuss new findings, products and procedures that may help you to a better and healthier smile as well as answer question that are submitted to me, so please stay tuned.

If you wish to receive more information, please feel free joining our  newsletter series above  where I will email you new important dental topics that could not only help you financially at your next dental visit, but could  possibly increase your overall physical as well as dental health.

Again, thank you so much for visiting and becoming part of the Floss.com internet family.

Dr.Peter D.Vastardis

WASHINGTON, Mar 29 (Reuters Health) - Dentists are on their way to being able to find and treat cavities before they form, but poor research, insufficient funding and low reimbursement for dental care are slowing progress, according to an independent panel convened by the National Institutes of Health.

The panel cited a number of promising developments that could arm dentists with ways to know very early on that problems are occurring in a particular child, leading to earlier and cheaper treatment.

“Identification of early caries (tooth decay) lesions and treatment with nonsurgical methods involving remineralization represent the next era in dental care,” a consensus statement prepared by the panel asserts. But more rigorous studies are needed to explore and test new techniques, the statement adds.

“That’s not likely to happen in the absence of dramatic changes in the way the public perceives dental care, the way the profession perceives its responsibility to deliver that care, and, particularly, the way third-party payers understand the needs of society to maintain a healthy dentition,” panel Chairman Michael Alfano of New York University told reporters Wednesday.

While the incidence of tooth decay in the US has declined by about two-thirds over the past 30 years, it remains a “significant” public health problem, according to the panel. Roughly 20% of children aged 2 to 4 have at least one cavity, and that figure increases to 80% by age 17. Two thirds of adults aged 35 to 44 have lost a permanent tooth as the result of decay, and a quarter of Americans 65 to 74 have no natural teeth.

Tooth decay actually begins years before any cavity appears, the panel reports. But current diagnostic techniques, such as x-rays, are unable to detect the disease in its early stages when proven, noninvasive therapies like fluorides, chlorhexedine, sealants, antimicrobials and salivary enhancers could halt or reverse decay, the panel said.

Despite improvements in dental care, panelists concurred, barriers to care exist for many Americans and need to be addressed with programs to educate the public about proper oral hygiene. According to the consensus statement, “health disparities…tend to be clustered in minority children, the economically underprivileged, older persons, the chronically ill, and institutionalized persons–the very populations with the lowest access to dental care.”

Efforts should also be directed at identifying children who are high- and low-risk for developing cavities, so that resources can be used more cost-effectively, the panel said.

The panel criticized current clinical data on the management of tooth decay, arguing that too many studies are small and flawed. Among other recommendations, the panel called for well-controlled trials of established and new diagnostic and treatment methods, as well as population and risk-assessment studies and studies to identify potentially useful gene markers.

NEW YORK, Mar 08 (Reuters Health) - Most parents don’t bring their child to the dentist before age 3, despite pediatrician and dentist guidelines urging early dental visits, study findings suggest.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children have their first dental visit during their first year of life, while the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that first visit be at age 3.

“We are missing the opportunity to identify those children who are at high risk for dental cavities prior to them developing serious dental problems,” lead study author Dr. Rebecca L. Slayton, an assistant professor of pediatric dentistry at the University of Iowa, told Reuters Health. “We are also missing an opportunity to educate parents about how dental disease can be prevented in their young children.”

Slayton and her colleagues followed a group of children from birth to age 3 years, determining how often they visited the dentist and had fluoride treatments. Parents completed regular questionnaires starting from when their child was 6 weeks old.

Overall, parental reports of dental visits and fluoride treatments were few, but increased as their child got older, Slayton and her colleagues report in a recent issue of Pediatric Dentistry.

For example, 2% of parents reported that their child had seen a dentist by his or her first birthday, 11% said their child had seen a dentist by his or her second birthday, and 31% said their child saw a dentist by 3 years of age.

Fluoride treatments during dental visits were rare until children reached 32 months of age, the report indicates. Roughly 4 in 10 children who visited the dentist at 32 months received a fluoride treatment, up from 4% of children who visited the dentist at 24 months.

“It is unclear why so few young children had fluoride treatments at their dental visit,” Slayton said. “It may be due to the child’s behavior at the visit or because the dentist determined that a fluoride treatment was not necessary for that particular child.”

Mothers with a college degree, in comparison to those with a high school education, were more likely to bring their children to the dentist at an early age. And parents in the highest and lowest annual income brackets–above $50,000 or below $20,000–were more likely to bring their children to the dentist than their middle-income peers.

This latter finding may be because many middle-income families earn too much money to qualify for federal or state aid, but too little to have private dental insurance, the authors suggest.

“Dental cavities are preventable if the behaviors and other risk factors that cause them can be identified early,” Slayton said. “We have a number of ways to detect early risks for cavities but can only do this by seeing the child.

“Parents should take their children to see a pediatric or family dentist as early as possible after teeth have started to erupt so that we can detect children at risk and give them guidelines for ways to prevent this disease,” the researcher added.

By Linda Carroll

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Severe gum disease may raise a pregnant woman’s risk of developing a dangerous condition known as preeclampsia, a new study shows.

Women with severe periodontal disease were more than twice as likely as those with healthy gums to develop the condition, according to a study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Preeclampsia, which is characterized by the sudden onset of high blood pressure, can lead to eclampsia, or seizures late in pregnancy or after delivery. Eclampsia can cause organ damage and even death.

The new findings are too preliminary for public health officials to make any blanket statements regarding oral health and pregnancy, the study’s lead author Dr. Kim A. Boggess said in an interview with Reuters Health.

But “this report emphasizes to me that obstetricians should be inquiring about dental care and oral health among their patients,” added Boggess, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the department of maternal-fetal medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Boggess and her colleagues followed 885 pregnant women, checking their gums when they started the study and within 48 hours of delivery.

At the beginning of the study, 125 women had severe periodontal disease. And out of the 763 women who delivered babies during the course of the study and received exams after delivery, 100 had severe periodontal disease.

Two percent of women who had healthy gums before 26 weeks of pregnancy developed preeclampsia, while 3% of those whose gums were healthy at delivery developed the condition. But 5% of women with mild periodontal disease early in pregnancy or at delivery developed preeclampsia. Among women with severe gum disease, 6% diagnosed with the condition early in pregnancy developed preeclampsia, and 10% of women with severe gum disease at delivery had preeclampsia. Ultimately, the researchers found that women with severe gum disease at delivery were more than twice as likely as those with healthy gums to develop preeclampsia.

Boggess isn’t sure why gum disease might be associated with preeclampsia, but she suspects that inflammation in the gums may lead to inflammation throughout the body. And such inflammation could produce abnormalities in the placenta that bring on preeclampsia, she explained.

It is also possible that the bacteria involved in gum disease somehow manage to migrate to the blood vessels of the placenta or uterus and do damage there, Boggess said. Or, perhaps, the gum disease is simply a marker for some maternal characteristic that predisposes women to preeclampsia, she added.

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