Dental treatment procedures

Dental fluorosis is the result of a high consumption of fluorides during tooth development. This occurs in some areas of the world where the fluoride levels in the soil and drinking water are very high. The result is teeth that are hypomineralized, porous, brittle, and hypocalcified. In some cases, these teeth are very unaesthetic. Your Central London dentist can provide help for your dental fluorosis. Bleaching the teeth hasn’t been very successful, so your dentist may opt to apply dental bondings are porcelain veneers. Your Central London dentist will clean your teeth with pumice, etch your teeth, apply an unfilled resin, and then bond your teeth. Depending on the region of the world and the amount of fluoride exposure, your teeth can have a very abnormal surface and vary in colour from yellow to grey. Some patients may only want to try bleaching to remove the discolouration. If the tooth surface is pitted or uneven, it is best to try to smooth the surfaces of the teeth affected so that they won’t pick up extra dental plaque and result in dental caries. There are varying levels of fluorosis, and you should visit your Central London dentist to determine the level of treatment you will require for your desired results. Also, smoking, drinking coffee and tea, and eating dark coloured foods will stain these teeth.

http://www.bakerstreetdental.com/blog/

Free rice

How to Get More Iron in Your Diet

Iron is a mineral found in every cell of the body. It is considered an essential mineral because it is needed to in the manufacture of blood cells.

Foods high in iron
The human body needs iron to make oxygen-carrying proteins hemoglobin and myoglobin. Hemoglobin is found in red blood cells and myoglobin is found in muscles. Iron also makes up part of many proteins in the body.

The best sources of iron include:
• Dried beans
• Dried fruits
• Eggs (especially egg yolks)
• Iron-fortified cereals
• Liver
• Lean red meat (especially beef)
• Oysters
• Poultry, dark red meat
• Salmon
• Tuna
• Whole grains

Reasonable amounts of iron are also found in lamb, pork, and shellfish.

Iron from vegetables, fruits, grains, and supplements is harder for the body to absorb. These sources include:
Dried fruits, prunes, raisins, apricots, legumes, lima beans, soybeans, dried beans and peas, seeds, almonds, Brazil nuts, Vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale, collards, asparagus and dandelion greens; Whole grains such as wheat, millet, oats and brown rice.

If you mix some lean meat, fish, or poultry with beans or dark leafy greens at a meal, you can improve absorption of vegetable sources of iron up to three times. Foods rich in vitamin C also increase iron absorption.

Some foods reduce iron absorption. For example, commercial black or pekoe teas contain substances that bind to iron so it cannot be used by the body.

The human body stores some iron to replace any that is lost. However, low iron levels over a long period of time can lead to iron deficiency anemia. Symptoms include lack of energy, shortness of breath, headache, irritability, dizziness, or weight loss.

Iron deficiency is one of the leading risk factors for disability and death worldwide, affecting an estimated two billion people. Nutritional iron deficiency arises when physiological requirements cannot be met by iron absorption from diet. Dietary iron bioavailability is low in populations consuming monotonous plant-based diets. The high prevalence of iron deficiency in the developing world has substantial health and economic costs, including poor pregnancy outcome, impaired school performance, and decreased productivity.

Recent studies have reported how the body regulates iron absorption and metabolism in response to changing iron status by upregulation or downregulation of key intestinal and hepatic proteins. Targeted iron supplementation, iron fortification of foods, or both, can control iron deficiency in populations. Although technical challenges limit the amount of bioavailable iron compounds that can be used in food fortification, studies show that iron fortification can be an effective strategy against nutritional iron deficiency.4

Supplement Schedule:
In addition to including the mentioned iron-rich foods in your diet, add these to your daily routine:
1. FlavoC, 6 tablets per day
2. SuperGreens PhytoFood: 1 T per day in juice or smoothie
3. BFood Complex: 8 tablets per day
4. Whole Food Complex: 6 to 8 tablets per day.

Source:http://nutritionresearchcenter.org/healthnews/nutrition-facts-about-iron/

High fluoride levels may affect cognitive development

Some recent research suggests that children growing up in areas where there are high concentrations of fluoride in their drinking water have lower IQ scores. Several studies, many of them conducted in China, have found a link between a decrease in IQ and fluoride concentrations. Health Canada recently recommended a reduction in the maximum amount of fluoride added to drinking water, but this was meant to reduce the risk of fluorosis, a mottling of children’s teeth. The Canadian agency has concluded that the “weight of evidence” does not support a fluoride - IQ link. Unsurprisingly, dentists agree, although I’m not sure how dentists would measure IQ!

A systematic review of studies examining connections between cognitive scores and fluoride levels was conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto. Their review indicated that, although the evidence is not conclusive, there are at least 20 studies reporting a significant drop in IQ scores for children in high-fluoride areas.
http://familyanatomy.wordpress.com/2008/08/08/high-fluoride-levels-may-affect-cognitive-development/

Prevalence of dental fluorosis

Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.

BACKGROUND: Fluorosis is considered endemic in 15 states of India. Dental fluorosis is the most convenient biomarker of exposure to fluoride. In Kerala, although the condition is reported to be endemic in the districts of Alappuzha and Palakkad, there are no systematic epidemiological studies evaluating dental fluorosis. We studied the prevalence of dental fluorosis among school children in Ambalappuzha taluk, Alappuzha district, Kerala and evaluated the contribution of potential risk factors. METHODS: We conducted a community-based, cross-sectional survey of 1142 school children (630 girls, 512 boys) in the age group of 10-17 years, using a multistage random cluster sampling technique. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to assess exposure to various sources of fluoride. A dental specialist examined all the children to determine the presence or absence of dental fluorosis and graded the degree of dental fluorosis using Dean's Index. The water fluoride content in the study area was obtained from the district water authority department. Bivariate associations were examined using the Chi-square and Chi-square trend tests, while multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of select risk factors with the presence or absence of dental fluorosis. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of dental fluorosis in our study sample was 35.6% and the community fluorosis index was 0.69. The prevalence of dental fluorosis was higher in the urban compared to the rural areas (55.3% v. 16.8%; p < 0.001), and in girls compared to boys (39.2% v. 31.3%; p < 0.01). The prevalence of dental fluorosis was higher among children who consumed pipe water as compared to children who consumed well water (44.8% v. 12.7%; p < 0.001). We noted a step-wise increase in the prevalence of dental fluorosis with a corresponding increase in water fluoride content in different panchayats (p = 0.024). The principal factor associated with the presence of dental fluorosis was a high fluoride content of drinking water (OR 1.85, 95% Cl: 1.17-2.92). We did not observe any significant association between dental fluorosis and the intake of brick-tea, consumption of fish or the use of toothpaste. CONCLUSION: Dental fluorosis is a public health problem in the Ambalappuzha taluk. Active steps must be taken to partially defluoridate the water before distribution to reduce the morbidity associated with dental fluorosis in this area. Similar surveys are required in other parts of India to identify areas with high water fluoride content and determine the extent and manner in which defluoridation can be carried out.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10492580

Dental Fluorosis

Dental fluorosis is a hypomineralization of tooth enamel produced by the chronic ingestion of excessive amounts of fluoride during the period when unerupted teeth are developing. Normal mineralization of permanent teeth, other than third molars, occurs from about the time of birth until about six years of age. After that time, teeth (except third molars) are mineralized to such an extent that they cannot be affected by fluorosis. Nor is it possible after that time to diminish any existing fluorosis by lowering the consumption of ingested fluoride.

The intensity of fluorosis ranges from barely noticeable, whitish flecks or striations that affect only a small portion of the enamel to unsightly confluent pitting of the entire enamel surface with dark brown or black staining. Teeth affected by the mildest degrees of fluorosis generally are not cosmetically compromised and are highly resistant to developing dental decay. Although primary teeth may be affected by dental fluorosis, the condition tends to affect permanent teeth more than primary teeth.

Various indexes or classification systems have been used in surveys to measure the presence and severity of enamel fluorosis. Most indexes score fluorosis according to various scales that range from absent to severe. The index developed by H. Trendley Dean has been used since 1942 and permits important historical comparisons.

Epidemiologic studies done in the 1930s and 1940s of the relation between fluoride concentration in water and dental fluorosis showed that about 10 to 15 percent of persons born and reared in communities with about one part fluoride per million parts of water (ppm) in drinking water had signs of mild forms of fluorosis. When water fluoridation began to be implemented in the United States in 1945, it was the only source of additional ingested fluoride other than that which occurred naturally in some foods and beverages, such as seafood and tea. Since then, many additional sources of fluoride have become available, such as dietary fluoride supplements prescribed as an alternative source of fluoride for areas with fluoridedeficient drinking water, various fluoride solutions, gels and varnishes for professional application, fluoride toothpastes—which currently comprise nearly all toothpaste sales—and fluoride mouth rinses. The use and misuse of these products has led to increased ingestion of fluoride by young children. Consequently, the prevalence, and to a lesser extent, the severity of dental fluorosis has been shown in recent surveys to have increased in both fluoridated and unfluoridated communities. Epidemiologic surveys have shown strong associations between fluorosis and consumption of water with higher than optimal water fluoride concentrations, early use of fluoride toothpastes, use of dietary fluoride supplements, and prolonged use of infant formula in the form of powdered concentrate.

To reduce the risk of developing dental fluorosis, toothbrushing by young children should be supervised closely. They should use only a dab or pea-sized quantity of toothpaste on a child-sized toothbrush and be instructed to spit out thoroughly after brushing. Dietary fluoride supplements should not be prescribed for children who drink fluoridated water. In fluoridated communities, parents who wish to give their children formula beyond the age of one year should use ready-to-feed varieties or dilute powdered concentrate mixed in bottled water with a low-fluoride concentration.

Fluorosis may be tested by bleaching affected teeth, sometimes accompanied by applying various remineralizing agents. Severe fluorosis may be treated cosmetically by bonding various facings on affected teeth.

http://www.answers.com/topic/dental-fluorosis

Skeletal Fluorosis:

Excessive exposure to fluoride causes an arthritic bone disease called skeletal fluorosis. According to UNICEF, skeletal fluorosis is endemic in at least 25 countries, with millions of people impacted.
Skeletal fluorosis, especially in its early stages, is a difficult disease to diagnose, and can be readily confused with various forms of arthritis including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
In the advanced stages, fluorosis can resemble a multitude of bone/joint diseases, including: osteosclerosis, renal osteodystrophy, DISH, spondylosis, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, and secondary hyperparathyroidism.
The risk of developing fluorosis, and the course the disease will take, is influenced by the presence of ceratin predisposing factors, including impaired kidney function; dietary deficiencies; gastric acidity; and repetitive stress.
In individuals with kidney disease, fluoride exposure can contribute to, and/or exacerbate, renal osteodystrophy.
While only a limited number of studies have documented the disease in the U.S., it is almost certain that cases of the disease have occurred but escaped detection.
'The Dose Factor' - Skeletal Fluorosis: (Click for more detail)
The minimum daily doses capable of producing the various stages of fluorosis are still poorly understood.

In India and China, skeletal fluorosis has repeatedly been documented in field surveys among communities with 1.0 to 1.5 ppm fluoride in water. In the U.S., there has been extremely little systematic research to assess the prevalence of fluorosis. Case reports, however, have documented fluorosis among susceptible individuals drinking water with as little as 1.7 ppm.
Research Gaps - Skeletal Fluorosis:
1) No systematic research exploring the incidence of skeletal fluorosis among susceptible subsets of the population including heavy tea-drinkers and people with kidney disease.
2) Other than small, limited studies from the 1950s-1960s (Steinberg 1955, 1958; Ansell 1965), no research exploring the relationship between fluoride exposure and arthritis in the west.
3) No comprehensive research exploring the doses of fluoride capable of producing the early stages of skeletal fluorosis, and how such doses vary based on the presence or absence of predisposing factors.
4) No research exploring how genetics may influence the risk and nature of skeletal fluorosis in the general population.