(Reuters Health) - Expectant mothers who have gum disease are less likely to deliver their babies prematurely if they use mouthwash throughout their pregnancy, a new study suggests.
Pregnant women with gum disease, also called periodontal disease, are known to have more preemies than women with healthy gums.
But it's unclear whether that link is causal, and so whether better oral hygiene would make a difference.
The new study, although not ironclad proof, found that regularly using an alcohol-free mouth rinse appeared to cut women's risk of early labor by about three-quarters.
"I think this is extremely encouraging," said Dr. Steven Offenbacher, a professor at the University of North Carolina's School of Dentistry, who was not involved in this study.
"We haven't known the best way to manage these patients."
The research team, which included staff and funding from Procter and Gamble, the company that markets the mouthwash used in the study, asked 71 pregnant women with gum disease to rinse twice a day for 30 seconds with Crest Pro Health mouthwash. The mouthwash does not contain alcohol.
They compared the number of pre-term births among this group to 155 pregnant women who also had gum disease, but rinsed only with water.
Among the water-only group, 34 mothers -- or about one in five -- delivered their babies prematurely, before 35 weeks of pregnancy.
In the mouthwash group, just four mothers delivered their babies prematurely, which is about one in 20 births.
The difference between the groups "was just incredible," said Dr. Marjorie Jeffcoat, the lead author of the study and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.
But she pointed out that the women knew which treatment they were getting -- water or mouthwash -- which in principle might have influenced the results.
Jeffcoat's team did not identify why the mouthwash was linked to fewer premature babies, but gum disease might play a role.
Gum disease starts when bacteria on the teeth infect the gums and cause swelling, and pregnancy can exacerbate the condition.
Inflammation in gum disease involves the hormone-like substance prostaglandin E2, Jeffcoat explained. This same chemical is involved in labor.
Her hypothesis is that gum disease leads to inflammation and more prostaglandin E2 circulating through the body, which might then spark an early labor. On the flip side, by treating the gum disease, women can cut their prostaglandin E2 levels and reduce their risk of going into labor early, Jeffcoat believes.
The study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, found that mouthwash did appear to help the gum disease.
Mothers who didn't use the mouthwash had more inflammation and sites along the gums where the tissue would bleed.
Aggressive teeth-cleaning is also used to fight gum disease during pregnancy, and a study from April found the procedure appeared to be safe for expectant mothers.
But whether it has an effect on pre-term births is still unclear.
"We are seeing that those types of treatments are usually not adequate to prevent mothers from getting worse during pregnancies," Offenbacher told Reuters Health.
Mouthwash is a less-invasive alternative to teeth cleaning, and it typically costs less than $10 a bottle.
But, Jeffcoat cautioned, "Obviously, if you don't have periodontal disease this is not going to help" your risk of pre-term birth.
Both dentists agreed it's important for pregnant women to take care of their oral health.
"They need to use a soft toothbrush and floss the right way," wrapping the floss around the tooth, Jeffcoat told Reuters Health earlier this year. "The first goal with almost all dental disease is prevention, prevention, prevention."
SOURCE: bit.ly/n5rjFX American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, online July 20, 2011.
15 Stars that Owe Their Smiles to Cosmetic Dentistry
By Dental Health Magazine staff
Categories: Teeth
With the media exposure that celebrities receive, it is important that their smiles are perfect. Having a Hollywood smile makeover however, it not just for the rich and famous.
You too can get a perfect smile by following the example of your favorite celebrity. If you are wondering about smile makeover cost, this will vary widely depending on what specific work you need.
WorlDental.org researched some stars have paid as much as $50,000 to get their perfect smiles. Implants and veneers can cost anywhere from $5,000 to as much as $40,000 depending on the number of teeth repaired and the specific dentist chosen. Teeth whitening and other procedures are of course much less expensive but not any less important.
There are a number of celebrities who had gaped, stained, crooked or even chipped and missing teeth at some point. Hollywood dentists have performed thousands of procedures to repair these problems. There are a number of dentists in the New York area as well that perform dentistry to the stars.
So just who are the top choices for cosmetic dentistry for Hollywood’s elite?
Kevin Sands is a cosmetic dentistry specialist who has provided services for a number of celebrities. Dr. Sands is located in the Los Angeles area and performs cosmetic dentistry in Beverly Hills for many stars including: Tori Spelling, Hilary Duff, Robert Downey, Jr., Charlie Sheen, Britney Spears.
Dr. Catrise L. Austin is the preferred dentist to the stars on the East Coast. Dr. Austin’s office in Manhattan, New York provides a number of cosmetic treatments for celebrities in the area for stars such as: Paula Abdul, Isaac Hayes, Malik Yoba, Toni Braxton, Eva Pigford.
15 Stars’ Teeth Before and After Smile Makeover
Knowing which dentists provide the bulk of cosmetic dentistry to celebrities is only half of knowing just how thriving this practice currently is. There are many celebrities who have relied on dentists for braces, veneers, caps, crowns and a number of other cosmetic procedures. WorlDental.org is listing here the 15 most noticeable stars’ smile transformations.
1. Cheryl Cole from X-Factor also had bad teeth during her earlier career days. Her teeth were terribly crooked and she had pointed incisors that resembled fangs. Her teeth were straightened and the fangs were reshaped to give her a more perfect smile. Whitening was also done on her stained teeth and she now sports beautiful porcelain veneers to give her that perfect celebrity smile.
2. Hilary Duff decided to get her first set of porcelain veneers in 2005. However, she did not like the look that the veneers gave her and many critics agreed. Her first set of veneers simply did not look natural. They made her teeth very long and not proportionate with the rest of her face. However, she eventually became so unhappy with the first set that she returned to a cosmetic dentist in 2008 for a revision of her veneers. She now has shorter teeth that look much more natural than the first set that she sported. Various whitening treatments have also helped to make Hilary Duff’s teeth look completely perfect.
3. Zac Efron did not always have a perfect smile. When he first began his career, he had a wide gap between his top front teeth. Invisible braces helped to pull those teeth together and give him a more grownup smile. Teeth whitening was also in order to help brighten up Efron’s smile. It has been gossiped that Efron spent more than $10,000 having his gap removed and his pearly whites made whiter.
4. Tom Cruise also did not always have a perfect smile. Until he was 39, his teeth were horrible misaligned. He now sports a gorgeous white smile that is estimated to have cost more than $30,000 in total. From alignment procedures to the whitening, Cruise has definitely paid fair change for his overhaul.
5. Kate Beckinsale has admitted openly that she has had cosmetic dentistry done although she has not stated to what extent. Beckinsale likely has had deep cleaning and gum reconturing. Add to that cosmetic teeth whitening procedures and you get the smile that Kate Beckinsale sports today.
6. Timothy Olyphant is not nearly as well-known as many other celebrities but that did not stop him from seeking cosmetic dentistry to help with his appearance. Olyphant’s teeth were not crooked although they were far from perfect before he had veneers placed. The veneers help to give him a much more perfect smile. Before the cosmetic procedure, Olyphant’s gums were showing a bit too much. Veneers and whitening treatments have brightened up his smile.
7. Miley Cyrus had a bit of a snaggletooth look when she was younger. At 15 however, she underwent cosmetic dentistry to have veneers placed on her teeth that would give them a more perfect alignment. The veneers made her teeth straighter and her front teeth look far less prominent than they did before the procedure. Her small incisors were also covered in order to make them more balanced with the rest of her smile.
8. Victoria Beckham reportedly grew up being very ashamed to smile. Her teeth were crooked and she had a very prominent gap in the front of her top teeth. Several years ago, Beckham spent a reported $40,000 on cosmetic dentistry in order to give her a more perfect smile. She received veneers and teeth whitening treatments to brighten up her.
9. Ben Affleck had a smile that was many years in the making. Before his procedures, Affleck had small teeth that were unevenly spaced. Extensive dental work on the actor included porcelain veneers, teeth whitening treatments and crowns as well as extensive whitening. His complete overhaul cost upwards of around $20,000 according to insider reports.
10. Catherine Zeta Jones has been through many changes since her early acting days. In her earlier years, she had a rather large gap between her front teeth as well as fang-shaped teeth on the sides. Her beautiful teeth today are likely the result of porcelain veneers as well as some costly teeth whitening treatments
11. It is certainly no secret that George Clooney has had a bit of cosmetic dental work done. The actor has reportedly undergone more than $30,000 worth of dental surgery over the years. Porcelain veneers were also on Clooney’s list of things to do. A teeth grinding habit left Clooney with a crooked smile for many years. Porcelain veneers were used to lengthen the teeth that Clooney had ground down and a laser treatment was done on his gums in order to expose more of his natural teeth.
12. Demi Moore is no stranger to cosmetic dentistry procedures either. She has reportedly spent more than $12,000 on her veneers and laser teeth whitening treatments in order to receive the beautiful smile that she flashes today. Moore had straight teeth in the beginning but was simply not satisfied with the shape of her teeth. The veneers that she chose made her teeth all perfectly uniform and laser whitening gave Moore her perfectly bright smile.
13. Oprah Winfrey is rumored to have benefited from Invisalign braces at some point. Although her teeth were never in terrible shape, Winfrey did want them to be more uniform. Invisalign braces are clear plastic alignment aids that are undetectable (almost invisible braces) so no one knows that they are being worn. These braces can cost thousands of dollars, depending on the severity of the misalignment.
14. When Nicolas Cage began acting he did not have the perfect set of teeth that he has today. Cage has undergone several dental treatments including braces. In fact, he was sporting silver braces at the Annual Writers Guild awards in 2003 on his lower teeth. Before braces, Cage’s teeth were crooked. After braces he has also had teeth whitening treatments to give him the perfectly bright smile that he has today.
15. Sharon Stone has one of the most recognizable smiles in Hollywood. Stone however, did not always have this perfect smile. She has spent thousands of dollars on veneers as well as laser teeth whitening treatments in order to get the beautiful smile that she shows today.
Celebrities flash their beautiful smiles at every chance and many have no idea just what these celebrities paid for these perfect smiles.
Cosmetic dentistry is a popular way to perfect a number of imperfections and give everyone a more perfect set of teeth. If you have problems with your teeth and you want a celebrity smile, consider the procedures that these celebrities had in order to give them their perfect choppers.
Brush your teeth to the tune of Justin Bieber!
Teenyboppers everywhere can now brush their teeth to the tune of Justin Bieber with a new musical toothbrush. The toothbrush, recently launched in the U.S., is designed to help make brushing fun for teens. The Justin Bieber collection has toothbrushes appropriate for youths and adults. For more information, click here: http://tinyurl.com/6aoz7qf
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