Studies indicate that proper oral hygiene practices starting in infancy promote good health in adulthood.

McAllen, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/15/2014 --About 90 percent of adults have an average of 23.5 teeth, based on surveys. Nearly a third of adults have a complete set of 28 teeth. In addition, 50 percent of adults ages 55 years and older have partial or complete dentures.

According to the Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health in America, oral diseases and disorders impact overall health and well-being throughout one’s life. Medical professionals at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine conducted a study which proved that periodontal (gum) disease is linked to a high risk of heart attack and stroke. Some studies show that poor dental health may lead to Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Rose Roldan, director of the Pediatric Dental Center at Miami Children’s Hospital and also Pediatric Dental Residency Program, said that cavities can start as early as the age nine months. She further explained, “the teeth start erupting at six month, so they haven’t been in the mouth three months before we can start seeing cavities.”

Roldan recommends parents to take their children to the dentist every six months, starting at the age of 1 year. Parents should make sure their children’s teeth are brushed twice each day, the moment the first tooth comes out. It enables children to become more receptive to the habit of brushing teeth.

The oral professional also emphasized that children need to be taught how to brush teeth properly. She also said that prevention is important, stressing that seeing children as early means being able to determine and address problems as soon as possible. This means being able to give fluoride supplementation to get fluoride incorporated into the teeth if necessary.

Parents need to be informed that mouth bacteria thrive at night when saliva is thick. Sugar serves as a medium for mouth bacteria to grow and produce acid. Roldan stressed out that brushing teeth every night helps prevent bacteria reproduction. She cited that majority of the 700 patients she see in the operating room for dental procedures each year are under the age of four. Children may even require root canals and extractions.

Oral problems when left unaddressed may lead to an abscess or the accumulation of pus. The pus can travel to the eyes or brain which can lead to periorbital (eye) infection or brain abscess. Health risks connected to oral health are significant for adults as well.

A study conducted at the University of Central Lancanshire in the UK last year discovered that people with poor oral hygiene or gum disease are likely candidates for developing Alzheimer’s, as compared to those with healthy teeth. The researchers also found out that the bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis are present in the brains of dementia patients when they were still alive. The microorganism is usually related with chronic periodontal (gum) disease.

About Xpress Dental Clinic
Xpress Dental Clinic, situated in McAllen, Texas, offers the most advanced dental practices in the Rio Grande Valley to give customers comfortable, relaxing dental experience. All pieces of equipment are meticulously scrutinized to deliver the best possible care. The dental clinic uses electric handpieces and offer Bluetooth wireless headphones to eliminate the "old fashion" dentist office noise and have advanced, in-office "mini" manufacturing technology that creates superior quality dental crowns, onlays and overlays in less than a day.

Dental services include emergency, family, periodontal, restorative, and pediatric dentistry.