Don't Let Finances Stress Your Oral Health

(NewsUSA) - As Americans fret over the next round of layoffs or simply try to make ends meet, many are cutting back on items and services that they feel are of least importance -- and their mouths are paying the price.

According to a poll of 300 dentists conducted by the Chicago Dental Society in the fall of 2008, more than 40 percent reported seeing fewer patient visits for preventative care, and more than 60 percent said their patients are putting off cosmetic procedures because of the struggling economy.

"It's happening across the board, people asking, 'Can I delay it for a while?'" said Dr. Indru Punwani, head of pediatric dentistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "These are people in the middle classes now."

Despite the best efforts to cut expenses, Americans can't afford to ignore oral health. Dental care, which includes taking care of the gums, teeth and related structures in the mouth, can greatly affect overall health. Gum disease can allow harmful bacteria to enter the bloodstream, where organs and the cardiovascular system can be affected. In fact, doctors can often detect the earliest signs of serious disease through the mouth.

It is recommended that Americans visit their dentists for routine care twice a year, but in the meantime, they should take steps to keep their teeth healthy, like brushing and flossing their teeth twice a day, choosing healthy foods, not smoking and maintaining an active lifestyle.

In addition to these steps, research is showing that the answer to optimal oral health might be just what nature intended.

Dr. Jeffrey Hillman, DMD, Ph.D., who has spent more than 30 years researching oral health, has identified three unique probiotic strains that are natural residents in healthy mouths. This special blend of probiotics, patented as ProBiora3, forms colonies of beneficial bacteria on the teeth and gums, where they crowd out harmful bacteria.

These beneficial bacteria naturally support optimal gum and tooth health, freshen breath and, by releasing a continuous, low dose of hydrogen peroxide, gently whiten teeth. Because bacteria are microscopic, probiotic health care products can penetrate areas of the mouth otherwise untouchable by other oral health care products, including under orthodontic braces and retainers and below the gumline.

The ProBiora3 probiotic technology has been integrated into an easy delivery system as a probiotic mint in a product called EvoraPlus. For more information, visit www.evoraplus.com.

"Article By: NewsUSA"