DID YOU KNOW.... you helped us make the holidays a lot brighter for families in need?
Greenville Smiles Family Dentistry raised $1,230.00 for Harvest Hope Food Bank in Greenville during the 2011 holiday season! We also donated approximately 340 food items to the cause with the help of our patients who gave generously throughout our food drive. We are so thankful to have been able to contribute to Upstate families in need. We are also excited to welcome so many new patients to our practice. Thank you for your continued support!
In this issue:
Keeping Your Teeth Healthy on Special Diets
Why Get Dental X-rays?
Keeping Your Teeth Healthy on Special Diets
After the festive food frenzy of the holiday season, many of us make New Year's Resolutions involving our health and fitness. Many times, we take on the challenge of a new diet, a new exercise routine, a new take on our finances, and all kinds of other things that make January an exciting and challenging time. There are many important factors to consider when making such goals, and there are certainly true health concerns such as obesity and high cholesterol that come into play with some of these resolutions.
One trend in such New Year, New Goals plans is to become vegetarian due to the great potential health benefits of "being veggie." However, if you step into a vegetarian lifestyle without proper research, education and preparation, it is possible to create nutritional deficiencies that may reveal themselves during your routine dental exam.
Academy of General Dentistry spokesperson Ludwig Leibsohn, DDS, observed in a 2007 interview that, "Most adult vegetarians are very knowledgeable about nutrition. They maintain their diets in a proper fashion." However, children need a well-balanced and nutritionally complete diet for proper growth, and the potential for deficiencies that can show up in dental checkups is greatest among children and teenagers who put themselves on vegetarian diets without knowing enough about their nutritional needs.
So, what are the risks?
Although vegetarian diets vary, some vegetarians, particularly those who do not consume any food of animal origin (vegans), can experience deficiencies in calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B12 or complete proteins if they are not well-informed on nutrition.
Teeth may soften when there is a shortage of vitamin D, becoming more susceptible to both decay and periodontal disease. Vitamin D is produced in the body with sun exposure, so deficiencies are rare, but it can develop in those who do not consume milk or fish. Adding vegetable spreads or organic soy milk and/or fortified almond milk to the diet may solve the problem.
What is the good news about vegetarian diets and oral health?
The good news is that studies show that by eating the right amount of fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes, vegetarians and vegans can get the nutrients they need. The most important factor here is knowing your needs and taking the time to educate yourself about proper diet and nutrition. It is important to note that this is also the case for people who do consume meat and animal products.
The bottom line is that nutrition and diet are important parts of anyone's lifestyle. Whether your resolution is about becoming vegetarian, vegan, or just "flexitarian," it's important to keep in mind that diet and nutrition are major factors in both oral health and overall health for everyone. If you do decide on adhering to a strict vegetarian, vegan or any other "special diet," take the time to talk with your dentist about it and ask for advice on making sure those teeth and gums stay healthy!
Good luck on your goals! We just hope to keep seeing you smile.
Why Get Dental X-Rays?
X-rays are a part of the electromagnetic spectrum and they're useful in seeing objects that are very dense, such as your teeth and bones. That's why things like your gums and cheeks are just sort of dark and without detail on a dental x-ray, but your teeth show up light and clear. Dental restorations like crowns or fillings are even denser than bone, so they show up as solid, bright white areas on x-rays. Dental decay and caries (more commonly known as the dreaded cavities) appear as darker patches in areas that your dentist knows should be part of the pearly whites. Dental x-rays are important because they can show early signs of decay that can otherwise be missed.
We use digital x-ray technology to minimize patient exposure to radiation. Digital radiography requires less radiation exposure than traditional x-ray film to capture an image, which is a key health benefit. Digital radiographs have proven to be superior to conventional x-ray films in diagnosing the smallest lesions because of the ability to enlarge, enhance, contrast, and even colorize an image through the use of advanced imaging software. You can learn more about it here.
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