When the question is asked: name some most common non-communicable diseases, it is usual to recollect names such as diabetes, cancer, and hypertension; very rarely does one say – oral cavity diseases. The authoritative body on health, WHO (World Health Organization) states oral disease is one of the most common non-communicable disease that affects people of all age groups, throughout the lifetime causing pain, discomfort, disfigurement and even death.  Problems of dental health result in loss of self-confidence, self-esteem, introverted nature and consequent loss in social well-being, and finally, at times, loss of socialization opportunities and job prospects. Non-communicable oral disease impacts 360-degree lifestyle including work life.

Dental disease normally covers teeth and gums, while oral health is a more broad-based term encompassing oral cancer, oral diseases due to HIV, cleft lip and palate, and noma.  The last one – noma, is an infectious disease in which cell death occurs, flesh eating bacteria cause great harm, seen mainly in poor African countries, sufferers have weak immunity and suffer extreme malnutrition.  Untreated noma leads to severe gum disease and even death.

Oral health is crucial for daily living:

Eating, speaking, smiling, tasting, and socializing are all dependent on a healthy oral cavity.  Gum infection and dental caries or tooth decay are common oral health problems, and these disrupt normal living.  Sleep disturbance and lowered productivity are a consequence of oral medical problems.  Due to oral problems people find it difficult to consume choice foods, and eating habits change.  Elderly subjects with reduced number of teeth and weak teeth give up hard foods and choose only soft foods.  Due to poor dental health, diet and nutrition are affected and this worsens general health.  Dental disease complications destroy soft tissues in mouth cavity, and can lead to major problems including death. Dental disease and poor oral health leads to decreased social activity, it affects how a person looks and sounds. As dental health issues are normally addressed to with seriousness, it is not an exaggeration to call oral disease as a ‘silent epidemic’.

Children are more vulnerable to ill effects of oral health: 

If a child lacks dental or oral health, participation in classroom activities, learning, group assignments and overall schooling is below par – this affects child development right upto adulthood.  Lack of social skills due to oral or dental problems creates a chaotic adulthood for the child.  Eating and nutrition problems are more in children with poor oral health.  Three year old children with nursing caries, weighed about 1 kg less than control or normal children – as per a study, as toothache and infection alter eating habits, sleep cycle, diet, metabolism and weight gain. Oral health seemingly an innocuous and not so serious malady is actually a major NCD with far reaching consequences affecting child growth, career, and matrimonial, family, social and professional life.

WHO has taken note of this serious affliction and has given a comprehensive definition of oral health: “a state of being free from chronic mouth and facial pain, oral and throat cancer, oral infection and sores, periodontal (gum) disease, tooth decay, tooth loss, and other diseases and disorders that limit an individual’s capacity in biting, chewing, smiling, speaking, and psychosocial wellbeing”.

While lack of use of oral care products affects oral health, lifestyle factors such as tobacco, alcohol, and high sugars in food worsen the problems. In case of weak immunity patients and diabetics, susceptibility to these health problems including gum disease is more. Abscesses and poor wound healing of gum sores is a challenge in diabetics. Low fluoride toothpastes are safe to use and provide protection from dental caries.

There is a need to make oral health a major health issue:

Oral  and general health are integral to each other. There is a dire need to make it as a major health issue at primary healthcare level itself.  Infections in mouth can infect other internal organs too, similarly infections from other areas can infect oral cavity.  Poor dental health, gum disease and mouth infections lead to heart disease. Other gum disease complications include respiratory problems, premature birth, complications at birth, and stroke.  Poorly controlled blood sugar levels in diabetics causes gum disease.  Australia has hence declared in its national health policy: oral health is fundamental to overall health, well-being and quality of life. In short, it is wise to brush minimum twice a day, and also gargle mouth frequently particularly after food intake.

Sunil S Chiplunkar

 M Pharm (Pharmacology) MBA (Marketing) PGDHRM

VP-Business Development

Group Pharmaceuticals,Bengaluru

Ph: 6364578669

sunilchiplunkar@gmail.com

www.pharmaceuticalshealthcare.blogspot.in

The post Oral health for holistic well-being appeared first on Health Vision.

Oral care refers to healthcare practices of taking care of one’s oral cavity (mouth).  This ideally, should be an important healthcare priority – however, it is often neglected.  People spend large amounts of time and money on products for hair and skin care.   However, many of these same people do not brush twice a day, making themselves vulnerable to oral health issues that mainly include: dental hypersensitivity pain and discomfort, dental caries and gingivitis or mild gum disease.  Easy availability and consumption of sugary comfort foods and drinks, increased use of alcohol and tobacco, and growing incidence of diabetes and other metabolic disorders – has propelled the rise of oral disease.

Dentin hypersensitivity

Easy and comfortable consumption of food by people of all age groups is essential for assimilation of nutrients.  One needs to masticate food (chew food well into a paste form in the mouth) and make a bolus for swallowing.  Mixing of ingested food with saliva starts the process of digestion in the mouth itself and antimicrobial proteins of saliva provide immunity.  Improper mastication of food and insufficient mixing with saliva can contribute to indigestion.  In elders and metabolic disease patients, hyposalivation or reduced saliva production reduces immune or self-defense function in the mouth causing increased oral infectious disease.

The hardest substance of the body is enamel – it is the outer layer of teeth.  The enamel layer has enamelin proteins that attracts calcium and phosphate ions, thereby causing mineral deposition and grants strength to enamel layer.  The second inner middle layer is dentin that has a number of dentinal tubules with fluid in it, and also has minerals.  The third innermost layer with blood vessels and nerves is the pulp cavity.  At the junction between dentin and pulp cavity are specialized cells called odontoblasts that manufacture elements required for dentin and enamel.

Excessive hard brushing of teeth, friction, continuous rubbing of tooth surface by the opposite teeth, attack of enamel by acids produced by bacteria, effect of acid that is refluxed from stomach in patients suffering hyperacidity problems and finally broken teeth – causes enamel erosion and enamel thinning.  This exposes the second dentin layer.  When food, touch, movement of saliva and air when speaking stimulate the dentinal fluid in exposed dentinal tubes, the person suffers a sharp sudden short term pain particularly when consuming ice cream, cold foods or hot foods.  This sensitivity pain of teeth due to eroded enamel and exposed dentin is called dentin hypersensitivity.

Short term dentin hypersensitivity discomfort and pain is also caused by various dental procedures like scaling and crown placement.  Dentin hypersensitivity (DH) is a common challenge in persons 20 years to 40 years age group – although it can occur in younger adults and elders.  DH is more common in ladies.

Dental caries and gingivitis

In dental caries, there is bacterial infection of teeth resulting in tiny holes or openings called cavities.  Dental caries infection results in loss of tooth minerals thereby rendering teeth becoming weak and there is loss of function.  When toothpaste is used while brushing teeth, the calcium and phosphate ions released from the paste saturates saliva and there is deposition of these minerals to remineralize and strengthen enamel.  Hence, proper brushing with toothpaste reinforces enamel with minerals and the mechanical action of brushing removes the soft sticky film present on teeth that contains the caries-causing bacteria.  Dentists recommend special toothpastes based on patient requirement for better oral health and protection from dental caries

Gingivitis is mild gum infection.  Severe gum infection can lead to infection in other organs including the heart.  Gingivitis affects mouth function and makes eating and drinking very problematic.  Hence, regular dental check-up is a wise choice.  Dental colleges welcome patients and offer free or very economical services.  The advantage of dental colleges offering dental treatment is this supports dental education and the patient can benefit from advice plus treatment by highly qualified faculty.

Oral health is stressed by WHO (World Health Organization)

The WHO has estimated in 2017 that about 3.5 billion people in this world suffer oral diseases.  Dental caries is the most common oral infection.  The overall health and quality of life of an individual is indicated by oral health.  The more dangerous oral disease is oral cancer.  Gum disease progression is linked to diabetes, which too is a global burden.  Hence, it is wise to gargle consistently after meals, brush with a good toothpaste twice daily, get a dental check-up every six months (do not hesitate – go to dental college hospitals for dental check-ups) and follow the dentist’s advice.

Sunil S Chiplunkar

M Pharm (Pharmacology) MBA (Marketing) PGDHRM (PhD)

VP – Business Development, Group Pharmaceuticals, Bangalore

E mail: 1969sunilchiplunkar@gmail.com

Mob: 63645 78669

The post Oral health: An important priority appeared first on Health Vision.

Improving oral health through oral care products like mouthwash (oral rinse), throat gargle and toothpaste improves overall quality of life and happiness. Improving oral health through oral care products like mouthwash (oral rinse), throat gargle and toothpaste improves overall quality of life and happiness.

 The ‘oral rinse’ formulation is commonly known as a ‘mouthwash’.  This liquid preparation is essential for oral healthcare; however, its time is yet to come in most parts of the developing world.  Currently, there is great emphasis on toothpaste use for oral health, while the use of mouthwashes is yet to pick up among the masses.

What is a mouthwash or oral rinse?

The mouthwash is a medicated liquid that is held in the mouth and swished by the mouth muscles, for 15 seconds to 30 seconds, to eliminate oral pathogens or disease causing microbes in the mouth.  So mouthwashes are mainly used for rinsing: swishing into all parts of the mouth to help eliminate or reduce disease causing germs, including bacteria.

Gargling is the process of taking the gargle liquid to back of throat holding it there and blowing air through the liquid to make a gurgling sound. Many of the oral rinses or mouthwashes are safe to be used as throat gargles.  Thus, the oral rinse when used for mouth rinsing and throat gargling helps protect the mouth and throat from infection – thereby, helps avoid the associated soreness, redness, pain, discomfort and difficulty in function of mouth and throat.

The mouth or oral cavity or buccal cavity is an oval shaped cavity.  It is the gateway to complete health.  The mouth includes lips, gums, teeth, mouth cavity, tongue, salivary glands, and the lower and upper portions of the mouth cavity called palate.  The main functions of mouth are talking and ingesting food and drink.  Even when chewing food or holding the drink in the mouth, salivary fluid starts to act on the carbohydrates and breaks down carbohydrate starch to glucose.

Further, antiviral and antibacterial substances in saliva help reduce the bacterial and viral load.  Thus, the mouth is a most important organ for ingesting, digesting and protecting the body from harmful disease causing agents.  Being at the front, oral cavity bears the brunt of pathogenic attack.  The pathogenic microbial load in the ingested liquid or solid food is exposed to oral cavity and throat before getting into deeper portions of the alimentary canal.

Bacteria and other microbes present in the ingested food and liquids adhere to spaces and pockets in the gums and between teeth.  Sugars and other food substances too get attached to various points in the oral cavity, on which the bacteria and other germs thrive.These bacteria colonize and create a protective barrier called biofilm.  As the bacterial colony grows, this leads to formation of a plaque- sticky substance that is removed when we brush our teeth.

When the plaque is resident for a longer time on the teeth, it binds with minerals from saliva and becomes harder; this harder deposit on teeth is called the tartar (or calculus).  Brushing away the tartar is difficult; this requires scaling procedure by the dentist.  Tartar build up leads to tooth decay and can also lead to infection and inflammation in the gums later on.  This is the reason routine salt water rinse and gargling has been advocated for centuries as a part of oral and whole body health hygiene practice.  Salt water rinse and gargle acts as a good antimicrobial and healer.  

Spit, don’t rinse

One interesting campaign in 2016, from Oral Health Foundation, UK was SPIT DON’T RINSE!  As per the campaign, brushing with fluoride toothpaste and then rinsing the mouth – washes away fluoride leaving teeth susceptible to bacteria and consequently, the enamel remains weak.  Thus, the advocacy was to spit the toothpaste but don’t rinse and spit!  This campaign extolled that mouthwash is not to be used post toothpaste use (https://www.dentalhealth.org/news/spit-dont-rinse-for-better-oral-health).  One should use mouthwash after some time, post brushing the teeth.

In 2007 a study of the efficacy of fluoride mouthwash in school children showed that there was 50% decrease in tooth decay in children who used a fluoride mouthwash (https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-use-mouthwash#precautions).  Mouthwashes with fluoride, not only saturate saliva with fluoride – but also directly deposit fluoride to teeth enamel and makes teeth stronger, resistant to tooth decay.  Fluoride mouthwash and fluoride toothpaste saturate saliva with fluoride – this deposits onto the enamel, thus strengthening the enamel.  One should take care not to swallow mouthwash oral rinse.

The use of mouthwash oral rinse and gargling helps reduce microbial load, soothes mouth cavity and reduces gum inflammation, thereby making the person more confident with a fresh breath.  Oral health improves quality of life of an individual, as he is able to speak, eat and consume beverages comfortably.

Discomfort in eating and drinking due to oral health issues, causes significant decrease of food and nutritive intake, further dental issues lead to disturbed sleep too.  Hence, improving oral health through oral care products like mouthwash (oral rinse), throat gargle and toothpaste improves overall quality of life and happiness.

Loss of dental quality of life is particularly severe in aged and diabetics.  Prompt use of a useful type of toothpaste, and mouthwash or oral rinse (including throat gargling if the oral rinse can be gargled) is mandatory in the aged and diabetics.  Among diabetics, hyposalivation or reduced saliva production further worsens oral problems like tooth decay, weak enamel and bad breath.  Hence, for these groups in particular the mouthwash oral rinse and gargle concept is very apt.

End note:  Next time while looking at the mouthwash or oral rinse brands in the supermarket and chemist shelves don’t think they are non-essential luxury products of indulgence.  Oral rinse and throat gargle oral care products are very essential to help avoid and treat oral and throat infections (particularly in the aged and diabetics), also the pain, inflammation and loss of function associated with such oral infections is avoided, and further there is a boost to confidence through fresh breath and good oral health.

Discuss about the oral rinse brand choices with the pharmacist, dentist, family physician, ENT doctors, surgeons or other doctors with whom you have a rapport.  And choose a good brand of oral rinse throat gargle; use the same twice daily similar to oral care toothpaste – this approach shall definitely boost your overall health and quality of life.

Sunil S Chiplunkar
M Pharm (Pharmacology) MBA (Marketing) PGDHRM (PhD)
VP – Business Development
Group Pharmaceuticals, Bangalore
E mail: 1969sunilchiplunkar@gmail.com
Ph. 6364578669

The post Oral rinse for good oral health appeared first on Health Vision.

Many people suffer from gum disease and don’t realize how important oral health is to overall health. Good oral health enables people to eat, speak, prevent oral health problems and reduces risk of many serious health problems. Good oral health is not limited to only your mouth. The health of your mouth is connected with general health. So if you maintain good oral health, you can reduce risk of many serious health problems.

How oral health affects overall health?

Evidence suggests that inflammation could be the connection between gum disease and general health. Bacteria present in infected gums can enter bloodstream and increases the risk of Heart disease,Stroke, Diabetes, Lung disease, Osteoporosis, Preterm low birth weight baby & Alzheimer’s disease.

Cardiovascular disease: People with gum disease are almost twice as likely to have heart disease. Research shows that chronic gum inflammation caused by bacteria has been linked to the development of cardiovascular problems, including strokes,heart disease and blockage in the arteries. Hardened arteries decrease the flow of blood to heart, which can lead to heart attack or stroke. Good oral health may reduce risk of heart diseases.

Diabetes  : Research shows that gum disease and diabetes may affect one another. People with diabetes are more likely to develop gum disease and lose tooth as diabetes reduces body’s resistance to infection and gum disease make more difficult for diabetics to control their blood glucose levels. Controlling blood sugar levels decreases complications of diabetes and risk of gum disease.

Pregnancy and birth complications: Severe gum infection has been linked to low birth weight and premature birth. Bacteria in the mouth release toxins which interfere with the development of the foetus. Due to infection in the mouth, the mother produces labour triggering substances  leading to premature labour and birth.Good oral hygiene helps pregnant women  to  carry  a healthy  baby to term.

Alzheimer’s disease & dementia: The bacteria that cause gingivitis can move from the mouth to the brain & release enzymes that can destroy nerve cells, which in turn can lead to memory loss and eventually Alzheimer’s.Good oral care may help protect against Alzheimer’s disease & dementia.

Benefits of good oral hygiene:

• Prevents tooth decay and gum disease.
• Reduces risk of infection in
• May reduce risk of heart disease & stroke.
• Helps keep blood sugar stable in diabetic patients
• Helps pregnant women to carry a healthy baby to term.
• Improves oral and overall health.

Dr.Kamala D.N.

Medical Advisor (Oral Care)

Group Pharmaceuticals Limited

Bangalore-560055 Ph: 080 2337 6766

Mob:9743412910

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