Diabetes and Gum Disease

About 24 million Americans have diabetes. And the number is rising. Some diabetics are not aware that they have diabetes. The inability to produce or properly use insulin has been identified in diabetics. Insulin is a hormone that transports sugar in the blood stream into cells so that cells can use them to produce energy for the body. The cause of diabetes has not been fully identified. Genetics (Type I diabetes) and environmental factors such as obesity (Type II diabetes) are thought to be related to the development of diabetes. A simple blood test can show the blood sugar level and identify the diabetic status of an individual.

Can diabetes kill people? Yes and no. The most common cause of death among diabetics is heart attack. High blood sugar level leads eventually, through complicated processes, to poor blood circulation in the limbs, eyes and heart muscle. That’s why you hear diabetic people having foot amputations and going blind.

Pix by Rhett Maxwell

What are the implications of diabetes in the mouth? Diabetic people are known to be more susceptible to infection and slow to heal. Diabetes is known to be related to severe cases of periodontitis (a sort of gum disease, losing bone and supporting tissues around teeth). Diabetes perhaps does not cause periodontitis but worsens periodontitis. However, diabetic people with good blood sugar level have shown to be just as resistant to periodontitis as normal people. After all, the cause of periodontitis is bacteria, not diabetes. So, eat healthy, go brush and floss your teeth and get regular check ups if you have diabetes. Go out side and exercise and keep your blood sugar level under control for your teeth and your your overall health.

L.A. County Fair – Cotton Candy

YouTube – L.A. County Fair – Cotton Candy.

LA County Fair Commercial from last year(?).  Come join the fun!

New York State Fair

New York State Fair by Joe Shlabotnik.

New York State Fair on Flickr – Photo Sharing!.

LA County Fair is opening this weekend.

Meet me at the Fairground in Pomona.

Infidelity Gene

TV news programs have been reporting that some Swedish scientist had found infidelity genes in men.  In other words, men with these genes were more likely to have extra-marital affairs and unhappy marriage.  They reported that 2 out of 5 men had this variation of genes.  So, about 40% of men are more likely to cheat on their wives.  Well….  It may be true.  But this is not exactly what the scientists at Karolinska had reported.  According to Reuters, the scientists at Karolinska had studied a variation of genes that were involved with feeling happy with marriage.

According to the report by Reuters, “men with a gene variant, or allele, known as 334 earned low scores on their partner bonding scale.” Some men with two copies of the allele were reported to have more marital crisis than those who do not have the allele.

Being unhappy in marriage does not mean infidelity.   Not all those in unhappy marriage will become infidels.  Some of those in happy marriage probably cheat on their suppouses.  Actual human behavior reflects not only the genetic variations but also other factors such as cultural value, upbringing, and self control.  So please.  Don’t fall for that “infidelity gene made me do it.  It was not me” kind of BS.

Cell Reprogramming

Telling one type of cells to become another type.  Sounds interesting.  Doesn’t it?  Well, Some Harvard scientists have discovered a way to reprogram cells.  Harvard scientists “were able to turn ordinary mouse exocrine cells of the pancreas into beta cells, vital insulin-producing cells that die off in Type I diabetes patients. “  This basically means that they will be able to cure diabetes and possibly many others, including disease that affect the heart and the nervous system. 

This experiement has been successful in a mouse model and has not been proved to be successful in humans.  There still seems to be a long way to go go before this treatment method becomes practical for humans, but it is a good start.  Its possibilities may include making heart, nerve tissues and other vital organs from ordinary cells.  For further reading check out this article from The Harvard Crimson.

Laser in Dentistry

Laser dentistry has been around for some time.  Laser has been claimed to casue less bleeding during surgery, faster healing  and painless cavity removal.  Personally, the only laser I owned was a pointer.  You know, the red laser dot pointer that you can use during a presentation in a dim room.

Having a laser in one’s office may convey the notion that the dental office is high tech and everything the dentist does is up to date.  That is true.  Laser is after all high tech equipment.  But the question one needs to ask is how much  laser dentistry is better than conventional dentistry.

Some people have said that  a laser machine in a dental office is nothing more than a glorified “Electro-surge,” an electiric surgery blade.  Basically they both use energy generated either by laser of electricity to cut through tissues.  If you are a dentist, you could read the research articles about laser.  If you are not a dentist, then you may want to ask your dentist about what scientific researches have found out about laser in dentistry.  You may also want to know that a dental laser machine costs quite a bit of money.

Welcome!

Well…

I am at a loss as what to say for my first post.  Let me just say what I hope to accomplish in my blog.  Being a dentist, I wish to give some information on some of the common procedures done in dental offices.  I teach full at a dental school in the US; so there is no need for me to use this blog to drive patient to me.

If you have questions or would like to know more about dentistry, please let me know.  Just go to contact and send me a message.