totalhealth
FOR LONGEVITY Volume 24, No. 1 
dental air force®
- replaces tooth brushing, flossing, and whitens teeth

Periodontal disease is the most prevalent human disease. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, in 1996 reported that 50 percent of all adults have gingivitis and 80 percent have had some degree of periodontal disease. P. Baehni and D. Bourgeois (Epidemiology of Periodontal Health and Dsease, Proceedings of the European Workshop on Mechanical Plaque Control, 1998) summarized findings from Dolan et al. that reported 92 percent of 50-60-year-olds with periodontal disease (attachment loss greater than 4 millimeters).

BACTERIA FOUND IN YOUR MOUTH

The mouth is a dark, moist environment of a constant warm temperature with a steady supply of carbohydrates - truly ideal bacteria growing conditions. There are from 200 - 300 different species of bacteria in the mouth. There is no other place in or on the male or female body that houses this diversity of bacteria.

Bacteria can be divided into two types:
1. aerobic - those that live off and reproduce in air - mostly beneficial.
2. anaerobic - those that live in the absence of air - mostly pathological.

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The excrement from the anaerobic bacteria is what you taste and smell in your mouth when you wake up in the morning. Not only is it acidic, it also forms a sticky hydrophobic (water resistant) shield around the tooth, called plaque. This is why water alone does not work to remove plaque. In addition, gums act like a gasket around the tooth, further preventing air or water to reach the anaerobic bacteria along the gum line. Something else is needed to break through the grease barrier.

Bacteria (good or bad) reproduce exponentially every hour. This means that if you start off with a bacteria population of 1x (1x being the amount of bacteria in your mouth after a professional cleaning - which you can't achieve in the home), after one hour you have doubled the population of bacteria, and after two hours you have 4x, then 8x, 16x, etc. Poor cleaning in a few areas will leave heavy concentrations of plaque that can repopulate other areas of the oral cavity.

You may start with a bacteria population of 10,000x and in a few hours bacteria will quickly race out of control. In addition, if you have a lot of restorations, crowns, bridges, orthodontic appliances, wisdom teeth, have periodontal disease, or don't floss, you start out with dangerous levels of bacteria even after you are through brushing your teeth.

BACTERIA LEAD TO DENTAL PROBLEMS 

More of a cosmetic issue than a health issue, are stains or yellowing teeth. The biofilm takes on pigments from foods, caffeine and smoke. These stain your teeth both extrinsically (on the surface of the tooth) as well as intrinsically (permeating the porous dentin). The dingy look of one's teeth can contribute to lower self esteem.

DENTAL PROBLEMS LINKED TO OTHER DISEASES
Over the last ten years there has been a growing body of evidence linking periodontal disease and systemic diseases. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) states "Gum disease is a threat to your oral health. Research is also pointing to possible health effects of periodontal diseases that go well beyond your mouth."
 

Diabetics are more susceptible to contracting infections, which is the likely reason they are more apt to have periodontal disease than those without diabetes "Periodontal disease is often considered the sixth complication of diabetes," claims the AAP. "Controlling your periodontal disease may help you control your diabetes," adds Jack Caton, D.D.S., M.S., president of AAP.

Some 16 million Americans suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and it is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. F. Scannapieco, D.M.D., lead researcher of a study published in January 2001 Journal of Periodontology, found that patients with periodontal disease have a 1.5 times greater risk of COPD. "Identification of potential risk factors that contribute to the development of chronic bronchitis or emphysema - respiratory diseases that comprise COPD - may suggest interventions that could prevent or delay the onset of the disease, or slow its progression," states Scannapieco.

More and more evidence is mounting to show a link between low birth weights and periodontal disease. In 1996 Dr. Steven Offenbacher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that even after taking other possible causes of prematurity into account, women with periodontal disease are seven times more likely to have a baby of low birth weight or that is premature.

Not only is there an indirect link between periodontal disease and systemic diseases, but periodontal disease is infectious or communicable and can be passed between family members.

ATTACKING THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM

Normal cleaning methods like brushing and flossing have a difficult time accessing the sites between the teeth, aerating those sites, and neutralizing the acid where the anaerobic bacteria thrive. dental air force® is a tool to provide you with thorough cleaning every day and a low average count of plaque on all surfaces of teeth - cheek side, tongue side, between teeth and around the gum line.

Voracious tooth brushing can over abrades the cheek surface of the teeth along the gum line, causing ridges and sensitivity to hot, cold, sweets, and further brushing. Signs of this condition begin to show as early as age 20 and are very evident in most individuals by age 50. Unfortunately, fillings do not last when restoring this damage. While the toothbrush is over abrading one surface, it under performs or does nothing to remove plaque from between the teeth. In a clinical study conducted by the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry, dental air force® removed 62.5% more plaque between teeth than the leading power toothbrush. It did this while being three times less abrasive on the cheek side surfaces of the teeth. 

The system uses a dental cleaner formula with sodium bicarbonate, the most widely accepted and natural cleaning agent, to promote a neutral environment. The cleaner is free of sodium laurel sulfate, the ingredient common in most toothpastes and responsible for most of the allergy sensitivity that users experience. Other ingredients include natural mint and xylitol known as antibacterial additives. You can use the system with hydrogen peroxide and get the added benefit of intrinsically whitening your teeth and further oxygenating, disinfecting and destroying the anaerobic species of bacteria. It is particularly effective for patients with crowns, bridges, implants and orthodontic appliances.

The longevity of your teeth is directly related to the thoroughness and frequency of removing this plaque. It is living your life with a low average amount of plaque on all surfaces of the teeth that insures this longevity. dental air force® breaks through the sticky shield, aerates the site and neutralizes the acid, thus reducing the pathological anaerobic bacteria on all surfaces of the teeth.

For the cost of a digital camera or other luxuries that we have in our lives, dental air force® provides - true dental insurance, professional whiting, systemic disease protection, time saved by combining brushing and flossing, dental work preservation, a brighter smile, higher self esteem, increased confidence about your breath in getting close to the ones you love.

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