By Dr. Joseph Lim There’s a dark side to healthy habits like drinking spring water, brushing after you eat, and even exercising: They could be damaging your pearly whites. Or just simply chewing on hard objects. Now, who among us is not guilty of chewing on ice? It seemed fun especially when we were all younger. …
The Dentist is In
Dental implants: A stunning growth
By Dr. Joseph D. Lim The global market for dental implants is growing. At a “stunning pace,” according to DelveInsight, a healthcare market research and business consulting company based in India and the United States. It is valued at US$5,126.5 million in 2021 — and growing. From 2022 to 2027, it is expected to reach …
Dementia and oral health
By Dr. Joseph Lim The fourth of the reviews looked at the link between oral health and dementia. The results suggest that poor oral hygiene is associated with dementia, and more so among people in advanced stages of the disease. Suboptimal oral health (gingivitis, dental caries, tooth loss, edentulousness) appears to be associated with increased …
Slowing down Alzheimer’s
By Dr. Joseph D. Lim Good oral health slows down cognitive decline in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease. Cognitive decline is the gradual deterioration of mental faculties due to, among others, Alzheimer’s. One example among the elderly is their paying less attention to prolonged tasks and difficulty in identifying irrelevant information. A study published in …
Chewing
By Dr. Joseph D. Lim Chewing efficiency affects the quality of life. This shown in a study, published by dovepress.com, conducted in a nursing home which reflects how impaired chewing impacts on the elderly. The study was led by Andreas Zenthöfer of the University of Heidelberg, Dental School, Department of Prosthodontics. The co-researchers were colleagues …
WHO guidance
By Dr. Joseph D. Lim It could send the wrong message. That’s what may happen with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation that non-emergency dental visits should be postponed in areas with high COVID-19 transmission rates. That is, for patients to avoid routine dental procedures to slow the spread of COVID-19. On August 3, the WHO said …
A continuing struggle
By Dr. Joseph D. Lim Filipino dentists are not alone, struggling with how to re-open clinics without compromising the safety of patients, the dental staff and the dentist. I believe the struggle is worldwide as dentists try with all their best to comply with guidelines made by dental groups, such as our very own Philippine …
IBD — A cure inside the mouth?
By Dr. Joseph D. Lim Poor oral health may cause or worsen heart disease and diabetes conditions. Now another disease has been linked to poor oral health — inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD is a chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. One example is ulcerative colitis which causes inflammation and sores or ulcers in the …
‘Star Wars’ look
By Dr. Joseph D. Lim An aptly named article caught our attention recently. The article — “Open wide: US dentists quickly rebuild after virus shutdown” — starts with the statement, “US dental offices are quickly bouncing back, but it won’t be business as usual.” Reported by The Associated Press (AP) and carried by nbcnews.com, the …
Teach your children well
By Dr. Joseph D. Lim Students are role models too. And this is what dental student did, teaching children about proper oral hygiene. “These are excellent opportunities for students to be in the community providing prevention education and being role models for the younger students to learn about oral health care and also about how …