Many of us may take multiple medications daily, and we depend on our prescriber’s ability to monitor those that are safe for us and exclude those that may be problematic. Anyone who wishes to be safer may do a bit of their research, and that’s fine. It does not mean you are suspicious; you only wish to ensure there’s no problem.

Hundreds of medications are listed, and it’s almost impossible for anyone to know if a medication could cause one of those rare effects for you. It is, therefore, in your best interest to be vigilant for these effects. In addition to being aware of the side effects, most patients would not know that the number of side effects may increase as the number of people taking the medication increases. Not every side effect manifests immediately, and it may require a significant increase in medication usage for it to show up.

How does a side effect enter the PDR? Usually, during clinical trials where drugs are being tested on patients, the principal investigator (PI) and those involved at the clinical sites will note any side effects that subjects report. Occasionally, an ultra-concerned clinical investigator may turn up a problem that isn’t one.

I recall a woman who developed a rash during clinical trials of a medication. Later, researchers determined that her caregiver had caused the rash by applying skin cream to her. The rash, however, continued to appear as a side effect of the drug. Although the rash wasn’t severe wasn’t related to the medication, it suggested that the researcher was very cautious about their protocol records.

Over the past several years, the discovery and prescribing of weight loss drugs (usually GLP-1) have been noted to have some mild side effects, and several studies have indicated what to expect in terms of side effects. Gut bacterial action causes bad breath (Ozempic breath), but it was easily manageable, provided the healthcare prescriber also examined any dental problems.

The Potential Risks

In another study, semaglutide was associated with a prevalence of nausea (44.10%), vomiting (24.58%), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (6.28%) in obese individuals.

However, researchers are now expressing additional concerns about side effects that have emerged after tens of thousands of people have used these medications. How do these drugs work, and what are they noting?

By stimulating the body to create more insulin, these drugs decrease blood sugar levels. They also slow food’s passage through the stomach and lessen the sugar released into the bloodstream. When the digestive process is delayed, patients experience prolonged feelings of fullness, which can reduce their caloric intake and lead to weight loss. The action of the drugs would seem beneficial, especially for those who need to control their blood sugar levels and their weight.

But there was an increased risk, however, of gastrointestinal disorders, hypotension, syncope, arthritic disorders, nephrolithiasis, and interstitial nephritis associated with GLP-1RA use compared to usual care.

Researchers also followed more than 200,000 diabetics taking GLP-1 meds and over 1.7 million diabetics using other medications to decrease blood sugar for around 3.5 years. The study did find that using GLP-1 was not without its hazards. They found these medications were associated with an increased risk of pancreatitis of 146% and an increased risk of arthritis of 11%. But most of the study’s participants were white men in their 60s and 70s with US VA ties. Such a sample would not necessarily provide the most robust results, and future studies need to be much more diverse in the population studied.

The Vanity Factor

Aside from any physical effects, there is also something women especially might be concerned about: Ozempic face. A New York dermatologist came up with this term. It means that losing weight can make your face look older because of the tissue that is being lost. The fact that videos describing it have received millions of views indicates the extent of concern.

But when it comes to treating type 2 diabetes, the GLP-1 RA family provides positive benefits. In addition to a favorable impact on weight and a low risk of hypoglycemia, all medicines in the class have shown substantial reductions in A1C.

Despite some noted adverse side effects, the medications have proven beneficial to a significant number of users. However, as with everything, the benefits and risks must be weighed carefully, and Ozempic face should not be a negative when considering questions of health.

The post Skinnier, Sicker? Weight-Loss Meds Raise Concerns appeared first on Medika Life.

Understanding the type and frequency of problems connected with dental implant surgery is essential to guaranteeing the best possible patient results and enhancing clinical practices. Postoperative pain and swelling are examples of less severe complications, while implant failure and infection are examples of more serious difficulties.

The patient’s current health status, the surgical technique, the implant design, and the postoperative care can all impact the likelihood and severity of these problems. However, two outstanding issues of concern for those in healthcare and dentistry are, specifically, the costs involved and the financing offered, plus the training and experience of the dentist involved. How many dentists currently engaged in implanting dental work are required by law to have outlined training and experience?

Oklahoma and Oregon are requiring basic implant training after public outcry about subpar procedures. Most general dentists who work with patients daily have seen instances when implant surgery or implant case design fell short of expectations. But there are other forces at work here that may influence not only the standard of care but also the public perception of implantation as safe and effective.

Advertising can play a major role, as we have seen what happened once pharmaceuticals were promoted in direct-to-consumer (DTC) TV ads. The year was 1997, and reports show that pharmaceutical advertising went up to $10 billion annually. To comply with FDA requirements, advertisements must be truthful and promote only pharmaceuticals approved for specific ailments, sometimes known as indications.

Ads for medications also need to explain any potential side effects and provide links to other resources. Would you require a font of a specific size at the bottom of the ads for patients to read for a length of time? Opinions vary regarding the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) ambitious mission to ensure that information about prescription drugs is “truthful, balanced, and accurately communicated.”

Consumers and Demand

Patients have now become accustomed to asking their healthcare providers for specific medications after seeing them advertised on television. A patient asked a dermatologist I know for a prescription for a product to promote hair growth. The dermatologist maintains high ethical standards and said, “You don’t want to know what the side effects are, and there are side effects.” The patient did not receive a prescription.

But what about dental implants? The same should be true. If a patient goes to a practice that specializes in dental implants and is told they will have a consult with someone, what type of person would that consultant be? The literature indicates that these individuals are qualified to offer implant financing, not dental health information. And implants can be very expensive, as one woman realized once she signed up for over $60,000 in loans to pay for hers.

The lack of adequate prior information and unethical behavior on the part of dentists willing to pull teeth needlessly to do implants is leading to lawsuits across the country. The lawsuits are not insignificant and number in the tens of thousands, according to an FDA website that has now been made available to consumers. An investigation revealed the feelings of several patients during and after their implant surgery.

While having her teeth extracted and titanium screws torqued into her jawbone, one woman claimed to have become conscious. A sworn deposition from her complaint states that she was unable to chew for over two years due to severely misaligned artificial teeth until she could afford repair surgery at another facility. They charged her $31,000 for the initial implant surgery.

Patients who sought a second opinion after having implants discovered that the teeth that were extracted might have been salvaged with treatment. Therefore, the assumption is that a lack of ethical constraint may be leading some dentists to remove healthy teeth in order to provide implants.

Private Equity Enters the Fields

Over 70,000 dentists in the United States now practice implant surgery. However, we have to wonder how many are adequately trained and experienced to do this work safely and effectively. Might private equity acquisitions of specialist practices in healthcare be adding to patient difficulties?

Over the past several years, private equity firms have invested over $5 billion in acquiring massive dental chains. These chains provide dental implants through a network of hundreds of independently owned dental offices.

The private equity firms would argue that what they bring to dental care is productivity and services that need it. In other words, they claim they have a better business model than is currently in place in most healthcare facilities. What is a better business model in healthcare supposed to center around? What do they do for the patients? Cutting back on facilities, potential training opportunities, experience, and staff while increasing fees would seem to be counter to the mandate of healthcare professionals. As one physician, not a dentist, commented to me recently, “It’s factory medicine.”

And private equity firms are rapidly expanding their influence in medical and dental practices and end-to-end patient care by acquiring hundreds of healthcare companies, including hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, eye care, clinical trials, addiction services, and emergency departments. They have even entered funeral services. The problem is that federal authorities do not always see these deals. Anyone wishing to peek at some of their investments can look at this spreadsheet.

While PE firms are active in dental acquisitions, the extent of their involvement is still unknown. Trends in PE acquisition of dental practices were examined by analyzing dentist provider data for the period 2015–21. Between 2015 and 2021, the proportion of dentists connected with PE rose steadily, rising from 6.6% to 12.8%. And large chains have the ability to advertise widely and increase their patient base. The private dental practice would seem to be at an unfair advantage in terms of media buys.

The Food and Drug Administration has provided information on what consumers should know about dental implants and how they can report related issues. The agency also maintains the MAUDE (Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience).

A single analysis of this database yields illuminating results. From January 1, 1996, to December 31, 2011, a grand total of 1,978,056 reports were entered into MAUDE. There were 28,046 reports involving dental devices, accounting for 1.41 percent of the total.

Of these, 26,691 were required reports (from manufacturers, 2,968 from distributors, and 140 from user facilities), while 1,355 were optional. There were 66 fatalities, 17,261 injuries, and 7,777 device malfunctions reported out of 28,046 complaints involving dental devices. In some cases of fatality, investigators believe the source was zinc in the dental adhesive.

Dental implants have benefited dentists and patients with limited options. As in everything, when aggressive surgical actions are taken, unforeseen circumstances can occur. Dental implants may be a viable option for some, but perhaps not all who seek them or who are convinced they need them.

The post Teeth, Implants, and Potential Issues of Profit Against Health and Ethics appeared first on Medika Life.

This essay will briefly explore this hypothesis-generating finding.

Speaking to Helio, study author Sage E. Eiset offers this take:

“The hypothesis is not new but has not yet been investigated in a population-based setting. In Denmark, we have several population-based registries with many years of high-quality data, including a public dental registry. This was a unique opportunity to investigate the tooth agenesis–cancer hypothesis.”

Let’s look at the new and provocative study.

Background

Tooth loss is a common condition that affects millions of people around the world, and cancer is a major health concern that affects millions of people each year.

Previous research has suggested a link between missing teeth from birth and cancer risk, but this link has not yet been thoroughly investigated in a population-based setting.

A new study from Denmark builds on previous research to shed new light on the potential link between missing teeth at birth and cancer risk.

Study Details

Researchers in Denmark looked at records of people born between 1977 and 2018 to see if there was a link between missing teeth at birth and certain types of cancer.

The idea is brilliant.

They collected information from various databases on missing teeth (excluding wisdom teeth) and cancer diagnoses.

The study involved over 2.5 million individuals, with just over 2.8 percent having missing teeth at birth and 1.1 percent being diagnosed with cancer at a young age.

Out of those, 778 people had both missing teeth at birth and cancer.

Study Results: Surprising Connection Found: Missing Teeth At Birth Linked to Cancer Risk

The study found that children aged 1 to 3 years with missing teeth at birth were more likely to develop certain cancers, including the following types:

• leukemia (a type known as acute myeloid leukemia; 3.5 times higher risk)
• neuroblastoma (4.2 times)
• kidney tumors (4.6 times)
• liver cancer (7.1 times)
• muscle cancer (8.8 times)

Children aged 3 to 6.

Children aged 3 to 6 had a higher risk of muscle cancer (rhabdomyosarcoma risk increased 3.5 times) and leukemia (acute myeloid leukemia risk increased 3.8 times).

Children aged 10 to 20.

Between 10 to 20 years old, individuals with missing teeth had an increased bone cancer risk. Osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer, risk increased by 2.2 times.

Children aged 20 and older.

Finally, young adults aged 20 to 30 had a higher chance of developing appendix (2.5 times) and bladder cancers (3.4 times), while those aged 30 to 40 had a 2.8-fold increase in colorectal cancer risk.

My Take

Do you have a missing tooth (tooth agenesis)?

Tooth agenesis is quite common. On the other hand, the study revealed few cancer cases.

Even if your risk is up to 8.8 times higher for muscle cancer, it is very unlikely you will ever get it.

There are only 400 to 500 children who develop muscle cancer each year.

Why Is There a Tooth Agenesis: Cancer Connection?

The findings may be erroneous; that is, they occurred by chance.
Still, some findings are biologically explainable.

Did you know tooth development is a complex process involving several signaling pathways? Fascinating, right?

These pathways include Wnt, BMP, FGF, Shh, Eda, and others. It’s amazing how many intricate mechanisms are at play to give us our pearly whites!

For example, the AXIN2 gene is connected to tooth anomalies and colon cancer.

Limitations of the Study

The study is registration-based.

While this approach allowed the researchers to build a massive database, it did not allow the establishment of causality.

The findings may be erroneous; that is, they occurred by chance.

Finally, if a very young child had previous cancer therapy, that could impact oral health.

Takeaway Message — Surprising Connection Found: Missing Teeth At Birth Linked to Cancer Risk

A recent study from Denmark found that missing teeth (excluding wisdom teeth) at birth may be linked to an increased risk of certain cancers.

The study, which involved over 2.5 million individuals, found that children aged 1 to 3 years with missing teeth were more likely to develop acute myeloid leukemia, neuroblastoma, kidney tumors, liver cancer, and muscle cancer.

While the study suggests a possible link between missing teeth and cancer risk, it is important to note that the overall risk of developing these cancers is still quite low.

The post Surprising Connection Found: Missing Teeth At Birth Linked to Cancer Risk appeared first on Medika Life.

However, I’ve been battling a seemingly endless war with my wisdom teeth. I heard horror stories about other people and their painful teeth, and for a few months now, I have struggled with this excruciating pain. Surprisingly, I also listened to an equal number of stories that ended with, “I had no problem with my wisdom teeth because they grew in perfectly fine.”

Holding on to the hope that my battle would reach a more peaceful conclusion, I prolonged getting my teeth checked. I prayed my story would end with “I had no pain at all.”

This was not the case.

Part One: The Introduction to Pain

The first part of my fight started with minor pain, which worsened over months and evolved into a constant, aching, throbbing sensation. I’ve been trying to find the words to describe this feeling. However, there’s nothing worse than dental pain. It resides in the corner of agony all by itself.

Part Two: The Impossible Solution

You’ve probably figured out how this fight ended—with my wisdom teeth once again winning. The second part of my fight entailed trying to find the perfect over-the-counter medicine to ease my discomfort. There is nothing in this world that can ease these aches. You’re probably listing medications you’re certain would work: Tylenol, Excedrin, Ibuprofen, Motrin, etc. Trust me, I tried them all and without fail, the pain persisted. Even two doses of Motrin combined with two doses of Tylenol every 4 to 6 hours wasn’t enough to give me relief.

Part Three: The Wisdom Teeth Win

The third part of the fight ended up just as you probably predicted— I had to see an orthodontist, who told me that my wisdom teeth were severely impacted and I would need oral surgery to remove them.  Therefore, I was referred to a specialist—an oral surgeon.

Thinking my fight couldn’t get any worse, the surgeon told me that my wisdom teeth were infected, and I was instructed to take oral Penicillin.

That brings me to where I am now. I look back at where I first started – hoping my story would have a joyful ending – and question if there is any way to change the narrative. I’ve shed an endless supply of tears, become accustomed to daily headaches, and returned to my dietary roots: eating baby food—all because of my wisdom teeth.

The Remedy to It All:

As I write about the worst fight of my life and prepare for oral surgery, there are a few things I’ve found that have made my battle a BIT easier:

• Drinking hot liquids: Cold liquids usually made my pain worse. However, tea, coffee, and hot drinks offered my teeth a calming sensation.
• BC Powder: At one point, the pain was so bad that I pulled over to the nearest gas station and stumbled upon this powder and have used it ever since! Applying the powder directly on my teeth and drinking water with the powdered medication helped with my intense pain.
• Getting rest: There were times NOTHING worked, and I had no choice but to sleep. Sleeping in a position where I wasn’t laying on my teeth helped a whole lot!
• Seeking professional help: Yes, I hesitated in getting help from a professional. However, I wouldn’t recommend that you follow my example. It pays to tackle your teeth head-on and immediately, so you won’t end up in a battle similar to mine! 

The post “Going One On One With My Wisdom Teeth” appeared first on Medika Life.

Going with Braces Tightening can be painful to anyone, but multiple methods can help you to ease your pain. Let’s get started and look at the best ways to help you reduce your pain after getting your braces tightened. 

Why Tightening Braces Hurt?

While you are going through orthodontic treatment, your teeth actively keep switching their position, leading to discomfort in the blood flow and pain in your mouth. Usually, new patients feel pain while getting their braces tightened, and most of them stop feeling it after six months of their treatment. 

What Can You Do To Minimize Discomfort?

1. Take an over the counter painkiller or anti-inflammatory

You must check with your doctor before doing this; however, taking painkillers can help you to reduce the pain caused by tightening your braces significantly. You can take the painkillers an hour before entering the dentist for your treatment or after the treatment is done. 

Most commonly used painkillers include acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil), and aspirin. Make sure you check the dosage guidelines because overdosing on it can cause harm to your body. 

2. Use an oral anesthetic to reduce discomfort. 

Oral anesthetics come in a gel form, and you can quickly grab them from your nearby pharmacies since they are available widely. Oragel and Anbesol are some of the most used products in this category. Using Oral Anesthetics can help you to heal your pain because they numb any area it comes in contact with, so your teeth and gum won’t feel any pain. 

3. Apply cold to your face and teeth to reduce pain and swelling. 

Using an ice pack on your face and teeth can help you to ease your pain. This is a widely used method, and usually, the results can be seen in an hour after applying an icepack to your face. 

It is recommended that you take a rest and avoid eating warm food immediately once you’ve used the ice pack to heal your pain. 

4. Eat soft foods

Eating soft foods allows you to put less stress on your teeth and hence a lot of dentists recommend eating soft foods after getting your treatment done. Common soft foods include yogurt, soups, smoothies, pudding, and baked or mashed potatoes. Ensure that you follow a soft food diet for at least 3 to 4 days. 

5. Stimulate Blood Flow In Your Gums 

When you have pain in your teeth, it can be hard to chew anything; Chewing helps you stimulate blood flow in your gums, and hence we recommend that you chew a piece of sugarless chewing gum or use a bite wafer to ensure the blood flow remains constant. 

6. Drink Ice Water

Drinking icy chilled water after getting your treatment done can help you feel relaxed, but it will also help cleanse your teeth and braces. The cool liquid will help you to sore areas in your mouth, leading to less pain, and hence drinking ice water is recommended when you are going through pain after tightening your braces. 

When To Contact Your Dentist?

It usually takes several days before patients start feeling relieved from their braces tightening; however, if you think you have an injury or swelling, it is recommended to contact your dentist immediately. 

Conclusion:

Most likely, you’re going to go through some discomfort throughout your orthodontic treatment; however, it’s natural and happens with everyone. In the end, the entire process will be more than worth the temporary sensitivity, and meanwhile, you can use the above methods to ease your pain. 

The post How To Survive When Your Braces Are Tightened? appeared first on Medika Life.

Brush (and floss)! Let me give you three reasons why you should do both. Admittedly, I do not floss each day. I am going to try to do better.

Plaque

Yes, it feels good to get the lingering piece of bread out from between your teeth. But there’s more: Floss, and you remove the invisible, colorless, and sticky film that collects between and around your teeth and your gumline.

Plaque is the product of mixing oral bacteria with sugary or starchy food and drinks. The bacteria release acids that disintegrate carbohydrates. Skip the brushing, and plaque bacteria will turn its acids on the protective enamel of your teeth. And then? The dreaded visit to the dentist to plug a cavity.

Moreover, plaque buildup can turn into hard tartar, collecting along your gumline. Now you have increased your chances of getting gum disease, offers the American Dental Association (ADA).

Gum disease

Gingivitis is an early gum disease, often marked by gum inflammation. You may notice bleeding as your brush or floss your teeth. If the gingivitis is left untreated, it can turn into periodontitis.

With periodontitis, the gums begin to pull away from your teeth, and the teeth may become loose. Without intervention, periodontitis may cause inflammation throughout your body.

Brush your teeth twice daily, and don’t forget to floss each day. And professional cleanings every six months to optimize your gum health.

Heart health

I became more fastidious about oral health (particularly flossing) when I learned that optimizing it might help my heart. My father died of a heart attack in his 86th year, so my ears always perk up when I hear about heart disease risk reduction.

A 2019 Korean study reported an association between good oral hygiene and a lower risk of atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

The researchers reported that over a median of 10.5 years, they discovered three percent of subjects had atrial fibrillation, while about five percent got heart failure.

Brushing at least thrice daily appeared associated with a slight reduction (about one-tenth) of atrial fibrillation and heart failure.

I grant that a ten percent drop from five percent is not much (0.5 percent), but brushing and flushing to get that slight absolute reduction is cheap to me (in terms of time and cost). And there is that bonus of fresher smelling breath.

You’ve got three reasons to brush and (I know I can do better) and floss regularly. Thank you for this brief exploration of oral health.

Action point — Floss first

Oh, one more thing: You should floss your teeth before brushing them. With flossing, you dislodge plaques and food particles. The brushing action helps remove the plaque and particles you’ve removed from your teeth and gum line.

The post My Must-Do Bedtime Ritual appeared first on Medika Life.

Soft drinks contain a high amount of sugars. These sugars are digested by bacteria in your mouth to form acid; sugar-free or diet sodas also contain acids. The acids then dissolve calcium in the hydroxyapatitecrystals present in tooth enamel resulting in pit formation and eventual tooth decay.

Each acid attack lasts for about 20 minutes and is renewed with each new sip of soda you take.

What are some things you can do to minimize the harmful effects of sodas on your teeth?

1. Brush twice a day every day!

Use a good quality fluoride toothpaste to keep your teeth at optimal strength to fight tooth decay.

2. Wait 30–60 mins before brushing after drinking soda

This might surprise many of you but it’s actually not recommended that you brush immediately after a drink or a meal. Soft drinks alter the pH of your mouth, making the teeth more vulnerable to acid attack and mechanical wear. Brushing immediately afterward will cause further harm to the weakened teeth. It is recommended that you wait a while before brushing so that the saliva has time to re-neutralize the mouth pH.

3. Rinse with water afterward

Water, milk, and dairy products have a neutral pH. Rinsing your mouth with water, drinking some milk, or eating some cheese after an acidic beverage or meal helps dilute the acidic pH of your mouth.

4. Don’t drink sodas immediately before bed

The bacteria and acid will continue attacking your teeth, throughout the night causing excessive harm.
Some people have a habit of keeping soda at their nightstand and sipping throughout the night. Unsurprisingly, that is also a big ‘No’.

Water should be your only source of hydration through the night.

Because not only are acidic beverages bad for your teeth, most also contain caffeine which can actually speed up dehydration.

5. Reduce the number of sodas you drink per day

Exercise moderation. The less you drink, the less your oral environment is exposed to the harmful effects of the drink. Try to take your daily hit of soda along with your main meals to reduce exposure.

6. Don’t drink at a leisurely pace

As mentioned above, each acid attack lasts for 20 minutes and is renewed with each new sip. Therefore it’s best to drink quickly to reduce the time the bacteria and acid have to wreak havoc in your mouth.

7. Use a straw

This helps reduce the amount of direct contact between the sugars/acids and your teeth.

8. Drink water instead!

Especially from your tap. Not only is water great for your overall health, but most community water supplies contain fluoride.
Fluoride strengthens enamel crystals and provides the best protection against tooth decay.

9. Try less harmful substitutes

If you still find yourself reaching for that can, consider switching to less harmful alternatives. Diluted juices, unsweetened tea, and milk all contain little to no sugar. Even among soft drinks Sprite, Diet Coke, and Diet Dr. Pepper are some of the least acidic options you can opt for.

10. Schedule regular visits to your dentist!

We’re here to help and we’re not that scary!
Routine cleanings are recommended every 6 months. During your visits, we also check for any preliminary signs of decay and can treat those accordingly.

Always remember: “Prevention is better (and much cheaper) than cure!”

Happy brushing!

The post 10 Ways to Protect Your Teeth From Your Soda Habit appeared first on Medika Life.