tBy Dr. Joseph D. Lim Patients who have severe mental illness (SMI) are three times more likely to face total edentulism or complete loss of teeth than the general population. This one of the findings of a study led by Dr. Masuma Pervin Mishu of the Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of York …
The Dentist is In
Habits that could be bad
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 …
A new take on dementia
By Dr. Joseph Lim Dementia or cognitive decline has long been associated with poor oral health. The link may be obvious. Individuals with dementia are often unable to maintain proper oral hygiene, thus compromising oral health. However, the evidence has been mixed. Other studies have suggested that the risk of dementia increases with cardiovascular disease, …
Special care
By Dr. Joseph D. Lim Maintaining oral health has beneficial effects on the overall well-being. And yet, oral health care for persons with disability (PWD) receives low priority in Southeast Asia, according to a recent study on disability and oral health among member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). And to think …
Odontophobia
By Dr. Joseph D. Lim Here’s a new word: Odontophobia. It’s the fear of dental surgery. Wisdom-tooth extraction, oral cancer, congenital deformation, or injury correction, all these procedures bring out the primal fear of the dental chair. “Many, if not most, if not all, patients are very scared when it comes to these surgeries,” says …
Non-communicable diseases
the By Dr. Joseph D. Lim The World Health Organization (WHO) is determined to implement a roadmap for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. Non-communicable diseases account for almost two-thirds of all deaths in Southeast Asia. In 2021, nearly half of the deaths from non-communicable diseases occurred prematurely between the ages of 30 and 69 …
Kidney, liver issues
By Dr. Joseph D. Lim People with acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) are more likely to have issues with oral health. That is, those with kidney failure or liver scarring have worse dental health, with a greater number of filled or missing teeth, compared to those without the genetic disorder, according to a study published in …
Paradigm shift
By Dr. Joseph Lim Dr. Shristy Sharma is a public health dentist at the Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciencesin New Delhi, India. A public health dentist is a dental professional, a specialist whose expertise is on population-based dentistry instead of on treating an individual patient one at a time. They usually have a Doctorate of …
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 …
Tongue scraping
By Dr. Joseph Lim Brushing or scraping the tongue helps rid bacteria in the mouth. As in many things in life, there is a downside to the beneficial effects of tongue scraping. And it has something to do with bacteria in the oral microbiome. The microbiome is a “community” of microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, benign …