Osteoporosis, a medical condition that affects millions of middle-aged and older people, causes bones to become weak and brittle. Having this disease means that a minor fall—or even mild stress like coughing—can lead to broken bones and troubling complications. In the United States alone, around 17-20 million people (mostly post-menopausal women) are taking medications to…
If I had a dollar for every not-so-pleasant discussion I’ve had over fluoride with various dentists over the years, well I’d be a lot better off than I am now. It’s not that I find talking about fluoride unpleasant, despite the fact that there isn’t much good I can say about the stuff, it’s more…
How good are you at guessing someone’s age? Can you place them in the right year — or even the right decade? According to a recent study, this is harder to do if the person is smiling. That’s because we tend to perceive smiling faces as more youthful and attractive. Yet many of us start…
What’s the connection between these painful conditions? Dear Doctor, Four years ago, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and just recently I was diagnosed with temporomandibular disorder (TMD). I’ve heard it is not uncommon to have both conditions. What’s the connection between fibromyalgia and TMD? Dear Noelle, Both temporomandibular disorders (sometimes called TMD or TMJ) and…
Pearl powder was the Chinese imperial family’s dental care product for thousands of years. Chinese emperors, empresses, and royalty took pearl powder internally and externally brushed their teeth with it for stronger and whiter teeth. It is recorded history that Egyptian queen Cleopatra took pearl powder internally for beauty. In Mayan ruins, archaeologists discovered human…
Despite the marvels of modern technology, tooth decay is still a prevalent disease on a global scale. Around 64 million Americans have a serious gum condition called periodontitis which is known to lead to other health issues. This equates to around half of the population over the age of 30. While gum disease has been linked to…
Contrary to what a lot of people think, dementia is not an inevitable part of getting older. It is caused by diseases like Alzheimer’s and is the fifth biggest cause of death worldwide. Alzheimer’s is preventable in some cases, but the problem is the direct causes of it aren’t fully understood. However, new research, published in…
It may come as a surprise, but mental health is closely related to oral health. Issues such as depression, stress, and anxiety can have an impact on the integrity of your teeth. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, almost two-thirds of people diagnosed with depression reported experiencing a toothache, while half of all clinically…