10 Foods That Naturally Whiten Your Teeth

1) Strawberries They may be bright red, but malic acid, a chief component of this summery fruit, acts as a natural astringent to remove surface tooth discoloration Fresh, juicy strawberries taste great in any meal—salads, desserts, cereal—and are widely available at farmers markets this time of year, so getting your daily dose is both simple and delicious.

2) Seeds and nuts Chewing these lightly abrasive, hard foods rubs plaque and stains off the surface of teeth Pop a few almonds for a mid-afternoon snack—they're full of protein, healthy fats, and the crunch you need to get pearly whites.

3) Apples The loud crunch you hear when you bite into this hard fruit may be annoying, but it's also good for your choppers. Apples' crispiness strengthens gums, and their high water content increases saliva production, dispersing and neutralizing colonies of bacteria that lead to bad breath and plaque.

4) Celery and carrots The same high water content that makes these veggies great for your waistline and your health also helps them whiten your teeth by stimulating saliva production, which aids in washing away food debris and strengthening gums.

5) Broccoli Unlike beets and cranberries, this crunchy vegetable doesn't stay stuck to teeth, so it won't cause unsightly surface stains. Throw some raw broccoli into your lunch—the florets will scrub the surface of teeth, giving them a brief and natural midday brush.

6) Cheese Hard cheese, like the little blocks you get on those delicious appetizer trays, is full of calcium, which strengthens teeth and gums. Plus, most cheeses are near colorless, meaning they won't stain your teeth. So go ahead, order that cheese plate.

7) Oranges This bright fruit contains citrus, an acid that can wear away tooth enamel if ingested in large doses, making teeth whiter—but at a cost. So while we don't recommend gulping down bags of oranges in the spirit of a bright smile, a juicy helping once in a while is good for your pearly whites, and thanks to loads of vitamin C, your overall health too.

8) Water Drink lots of water to keep your mouth hydrated and your smile brightl, we recommend sipping and swishing between glasses of wine and when eating dark, pigmented foods to prevent staining. However, while water reduces the acidity in your mouth and the resulting damage to your enamel, we have to warn against imbibing too much sparkling water, which has greater potential to erode enamel and harm teeth.

9) Pears we recommend munching on a pear to neutralize pesky odor-causing and staining bacteria colonies on teeth. Increased saliva production brought on by this sweet, delicious fruit also washes away food debris, leaving teeth clean and sparkling.

10) Milk and yogurt These dairy products are teeth superfoods. Their high calcium content strengthens teeth, making enamel healthier and whiter. But be warned: Not all calcium-rich foods—like spinach with its dark, stain-causing pigmentation—have the same effect. Chow down on a high-protein Greek yogurt for a snack, or pair after-dinner cookies with a cold glass of milk to get that gleam.

 

10 Habits That Wreck Your Teeth

Chewing on Ice

It’s natural and sugar free, so you might think ice is harmless. But munching on hard, frozen cubes can chip or even crack your teeth. And if your mindless chomping irritates the soft tissue inside a tooth, regular toothaches may follow. Hot foods and cold foods may trigger quick, sharp jabs of pain or a lingering toothache. Next time you get the urge for ice, chew some sugarless gum instead.

Playing Sports With No Mouth Guard

Whether you play football, hockey, or any other contact sport, don't get in the game without a mouth guard. This is a piece of molded plastic that protects the upper row of teeth. Without it, your teeth could get chipped or even knocked out when the action gets rough. Self-fitting mouth guards may be purchased at a store, or you can have one custom made by your dentist.

Tongue Piercings

Tongue piercings may be trendy, but biting down on the metal stud can crack a tooth. Lip piercings pose a similar risk. And when metal rubs against the gums, it can cause gum damage that may lead to tooth loss. The mouth is also a haven for bacteria, so piercings raise the risk of infections and sores. Bottom line, discuss the health risks with your dentist first.

Grinding Teeth

Teeth grinding, or bruxism, can wear teeth down over time. It is most often caused by stress and sleeping habits. This makes it hard to control. Avoiding hard foods during the day can reduce pain and damage from this habit. Wearing a mouth guard at night can prevent the damage caused by grinding while sleeping.

Soda

Candy isn't the only culprit when it comes to added sugar. Sodas can have up to 11 teaspoons of sugar per serving. To add insult to injury, sodas also contain phosphoric and citric acids, which eat away at tooth enamel. Diet soft drinks let you skip the sugar, but they may have even more acid in the form of the artificial sweeteners.

Opening Stuff With Your Teeth

Opening bottle caps or plastic packaging with your teeth may be convenient, but this is one habit that makes dentists cringe. Using your teeth as tools can cause them to crack or chip. Instead, keep scissors and bottle openers handy. Bottom line, your teeth should only be used for eating.

Sports Drinks

There's no doubt a cold sports drink is refreshing after a good workout. But these drinks are usually high in sugar. Like soda or candy, sugary sports drinks create an acid attack on the enamel of your teeth. Drinking them frequently can lead to decay. A better way to stay hydrated at the gym is to chug sugar-free, calorie-free water.

Constant Snacking

Snacking produces less saliva than a meal, leaving food bits in your teeth for hours longer. Avoid snacking too frequently, and stick to snacks that are low in sugar and starch -- for example, carrot sticks.

Smoking

Cigarettes, as well as other tobacco products, can stain teeth and cause them to fall out as a result of gum disease. Tobacco can also cause cancer of the mouth, lips, and tongue. If you were looking for one more reason to quit, think of your smile.

Binge Eating

Binge eating often involves excessive amounts of sweets, which can lead to tooth decay. Binging and purging (bulimia nervosa) can do even more damage to dental health. The strong acids found in vomit can erode teeth, making them brittle and weak. These acids also cause bad breath. Bulimia can lead to a variety of serious health problems, so be sure to talk to your doctor if you have been purging.

16 Unexpected Ways to Add Years to Your Life

The average American’s life expectancy is 78.7 years. Whether you reach that age—or better yet, exceed it—largely depends on your genes, but there are also many keys to longevity that are totally within your control. Some you probably already know about, like following a nutritious diet, exercising often, staying away from cigarettes, and maintaining a healthy weight. Other habits are a little less obvious. Read on for some surprising habits and lifestyle choices that could add years to your life.

Adopt a furry friend

Your four-legged companion may be helping you live a longer life, according to a review published in the journal Circulation. Researchers believe owning a dog might keep the owner more active and, as a result, lowers the risk of heart disease.

“Dog owners are who walk their dogs are more likely to meet recommendations for daily physical activity (150 minutes weekly),” says Eric A. Goedereis, PhD, assistant professor of psychology at Webster University in St. Louis, MO. Owning a pet also reduces stress, which may decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, he adds.

Have more sex

A roll in the hay may be the most pleasant way to extend your life. Several studies suggest there is a link between more orgasms and longevity. In a 1997 study, men who had more orgasms were less likely to die of heart disease than those who had less. While the study can’t prove cause and effect (maybe healthier people are more likely to have sex), sex can be beneficial for health. “Of course sex feels good, but it also gives us the opportunity to work out nearly every muscle in the body and connect with another person,” says Goedereis. “Sex has also been shown to boost the body’s immune response, reduce stress, and even control one’s appetite, among other things.” Two to three orgasms a week yields best benefits. Doctor’s orders.

Floss every day

Daily flossing not only gets rid of food trapped between your teeth but also removes the film of bacteria that forms before it has a chance to harden into plaque—something your toothbrush cannot do. Periodontal disease from lack of flossing can trigger low-grade inflammation, which increases the risk of early heart attack and stroke. Numerous studies link oral bacteria to cardiovascular disease. The American Dental Association recommends flossing at least once a day.

Have a positive attitude

Think being mean and ornery is what it takes to live to 100? That’s what scientists at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine in the Bronx, New York thought until they studied 243 centenarians. When the researchers assessed their personalities, they discovered that most had a positive outlook on life, and were generally easygoing, optimistic, and full of laughter.

If nothing else, try to laugh more often—go to comedy shows, take occasional breaks at work to watch silly videos on YouTube, or spend time with people who make you smile. “Laughter helps decrease blood pressure, reduce blood sugars, dull pain, and lower stress, all of which can make your body healthier,” says Elizabeth Lombardo, PhD, psychologist and author of Better than Perfect: 7 Strategies to Crush Your Inner Critic and Create a Life You Love.

Be social

Going to the movies or out for coffee with friends may help all of you grow old together. An analysis by Brigham Young University looked at data from 148 studies and found a clear connection between social ties and lifespan. “People with stronger social relationships have a 50% greater chance of continued living as compared to those with weaker relationships,” says Lombardo. “Loneliness can also compromise your immune system, making it harder to fight off disease.”

Go nuts

Snack on cashews, sprinkle chopped walnuts on your salad, stir almonds into your yogurt—however you eat them, it may be helpful. People who ate nuts several times a week had a reduced mortality risk compared with those who ate nuts less frequently (or at all), according to a 2013 New England Journal of Medicine study.

Nuts are high in antioxidants, fiber, and unsaturated fatty acids, and they help lower your risk of heart disease. “They are known to possibly improve certain risk factors for diabetes as well,” says Keri Gans, RD, a New York-based nutrition consultant. As a healthy but high-calorie snack, limit portion sizes to 1 ounce, or about 20 nuts.

Find your purpose

Regardless of your age, finding purpose in life may help you live long enough to make a difference. In a study of 6,000 people, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York found that people who had a greater sense of purpose were less likely to die during the 14-year study than those who were less focused on a goal. “People who have a sense of purpose in their lives may be more likely to take steps to be healthier,” says Lombardo. To develop a sense of purpose, focus on the positive impact you are making at work or at home instead of getting caught up with every little detail being perfect, she suggests.

Start your mornings with coffee

Sipping a mug of coffee not only jumpstarts your day, but your longevity as well. Studies show coffee reduces the risk of a number of chronic diseases. “Drinking coffee may decrease your risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease,” says Gans. Just go easy: too much caffeine can trigger anxiety and insomnia, or interfere with calcium absorption. And hold the whipped toppings like syrups and cream to avoid canceling out the health benefits.

Snooze soundly

Quality of sleep also plays in role in how long you may live. Multiple studies have linked sleep deprivation with an increased risk of death, and other research has shown that a lack of shuteye may raise risk of type 2 diabetes. “Some people may need more or less sleep than others, but research suggests that seven hours is probably enough,” says Goedereis. To sleep soundly, establish a nighttime routine and stick to a schedule, even on weekends.

See the glass as half full

An Illinois study found clear evidence that happy people experience better health and live longer than their unhappy peers. “Depression, pessimism, and stress predict shorter lifespans,” says Lombardo. “These mental states tend to cause a stress reaction within the body, which can weaken the immune system. Happiness, on the other hand, tends to result in less stress hormones.” Take time to experience gratitude every day. “It’s one of the quickest and longest-lasting ways to boost happiness,” she adds.

Ditch soda

Even if you’re not overweight, drinking soda may be shortening your lifespan, according to a study in the American Journal of Public Health. The five-year study found a link between soda intake and shortening of the telomeres, which are caps on the ends of chromosomes directly linked to aging. Telomeres shorten each time a cell divides and are thought to be an aging “clock.” This study did not find the same link with diet soda, but other research has associated heavy diet soda drinking to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and depression—all potential life-shorteners.

Have a little bit of wine every day

Drinking a little less than one glass of wine a day is linked to a lower rate of cardiovascular death from all causes when compared to abstaining from all alcohol, according to a Dutch study. Researchers found that light alcohol consumption resulted in longer life expectancy at age 50. Drinking less than or equal to 20 grams per day of alcohol (that’s a little less than a serving of beer, wine, or spirits) was associated with a 36% lower risk of all causes of death and a 34% lower risk of cardiovascular death. And sorry, beer and cocktail fans: the same results were not found with light-to-moderate alcohol intake of other types.

Run 5 minutes a day

No need to run for an hour a day to reap the life-lengthening benefits. A new study shows running just 5 to 10 minutes a day increases your life expectancy by reducing the risk of death from heart disease by 58% and dropping the overall risk of death by 28%. It holds true even if you’re a slowpoke. Those who ran at less than 6 miles per hour only once or twice a week experienced clear benefits, the researchers reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Researchers credit better lung and heart function with the extended lifespan. Consistency works best, however: Exercisers who ran regularly for an average of six years reaped the greatest benefits.

Eat lots of fish

A diet heavy in omega-3-rich foods may add years to your life, says a study from the Annals of Internal Medicine. In the study of more than 2,600 adults, those with the highest blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids—found in salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, and lake trout—lived more than two years longer on average than those with lower blood levels. The study didn’t prove that being a fish-eater increases longevity, but suggests a connection. Researchers found that people with high omega-3 levels reduced their overall risk of death by any cause by up to 27% compared to those with the lowest levels, and that they had a 35% lower risk of dying from heart disease. Experts recommend at least two 3.5-ounce servings of fish a week.

Stop sitting so much

Simply stand up more during the day and you’ll boost your longevity by increasing the length of your telomeres, according to a study from the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The study measured the effects of sitting time and physical activity among 49 sedentary, overweight participants. Researchers found increased telomere length—end caps of chromosomes that link directly to longevity—in the red blood cells of individuals participating in a 6-month physical activity intervention.

Volunteer

Helping others not only feels good, it may help you live longer, too. A review of data from 40 published papers found a 20% lower risk of death than non-volunteers. The findings, published in the journal BMC Public Health, found that those who volunteered experienced lower levels of depression, better life satisfaction, and overall enhanced wellbeing. Another study found that retirees who volunteered at least 200 hours in the prior year were less likely to develop high blood pressure than non-volunteers, lowering their risk of heart disease. Lend a hand for a win-win result.

 

5 Surprising Ways You're Destroying Your Teeth

Protect your pearly whites from these unexpected dental wreckers

When it comes to cavities, there are the usual suspects to blame: soda, sugar, shoddy brushing. But other chomper wreckers may fill your daily routine, too. Keep reading for 5 unexpected dental culprits—and the best ways to stop them.

Cardio

Long cardio workouts may take a toll on your pearly whites, a new German study found. The researchers compared the oral health of endurance athletes with non-exercisers and found that the athletes were more likely to have tooth erosion, which is a gradual wearing away of enamel. And the more time they spent training per week, the greater their risk of cavities.

That's because exercise reduces your saliva, the researchers found. Saliva is filled with minerals that nurture your teeth and neutralize acids that cause wear and rot. On top of that, consuming sugary energy gels and acidic sports drinks during training can encourage tooth decay, says Men's Health dentistry advisor Mark S. Wolff, D.D.S., Ph.D.

Your fix: Since you have less saliva during long training sessions, battle decay-causing bacteria and plaque by brushing before you exercise and rinsing your mouth with water after consuming anything sugary or acidic, Wolff says. Plus, chewing sugar-free gum when you work out can boost your saliva production, says study author Cornelia Frese, D.D.S., a senior dentist at University Hospital Heidelberg in Germany. 

Weight Lifting

It's a natural tendency to clench your jaw when you strain to lift weights, Wolff says. It may even improve performance by increasing blood flow to parts of your brain associated with motor control, recent research finds. But all that pressure can wear down your teeth or even crack them, causing persistent pain in your jaw, he says.

Your fix: If you bite down hard when you exert yourself in the gym, consider wearing a mouthguard, Wolff says. Inexpensive "boil-and-bite" mouth guards are effective and easy to find at drugstores or sporting goods stores, he says.  Or your dentist can make you a custom one, which will fit better, he says.

 

Medications

Hundreds of medications for allergies, depression, heart health, and blood pressure cause dry mouth. That may not sound like a major side effect, but it can wreak havoc on your teeth, since they need saliva to protect against acids that cause decay and erosion, says Edmond Hewlett, D.D.S., an American Dental Association advisor and professor at the University of California Los Angeles School of Dentistry.

"When you don't have an adequate saliva supply, your teeth can undergo catastrophic damage in a matter of months,” he says.  

Your fix: Chewing on sugar-free gum and sucking on sugar-free hard candy throughout the day will help stimulate saliva production, Hewlett says. Stay away from sugary and acidic foods that encourage decay and erosion, he says. Eating that stuff will exacerbate the problem.

Heartburn

Sure, the chest pain sucks, but did you know that acid reflux can do permanent damage to your teeth, too? The acid from your digestive system can wind up in your mouth, dissolving your enamel just like the acid from soda or sports drinks. This acid, however, can be even more potent, Hewlett says. 

Your fix: If your dentist finds erosion on the teeth located at the back of your mouth, acid reflux is most likely the culprit, Hewlett says. Ask your physician how to tackle your heartburn, Hewlett says. A prescription medication may be the best solution

Meal-Time Brushing

Brushing after eating acidic foods—like juice, fruit, sports drinks, red wine, and soda—can weaken enamel, Wolff says. That may lead to yellowing and greater odds of cracks and chips.  

Your fix: Swish with water to rinse away the acid and wait 40 minutes for the calcium in your saliva to remineralize weakened areas. Then brush. 

 

The American Academy Of Pediatric Dentistry Encourages Parents To Be Aware Of Mouth Monsters This Halloween

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the leading authority on children's oral health, is encouraging parents and caregivers to enjoy a Mouth Monster-free Halloween. Whether your kids are attending Halloween parties or trick or treating in the neighborhood, keep on the lookout for ghosts, goblins and worst of all, Mouth Monsters. Sweets can still be part of the Halloween fun as long as parents and caregivers help their children practice moderation and proper oral hygiene to keep their mouths healthy.

According to AAPD President Dr. Edward Moody, "Let children have fun and enjoy trick-or-treating or a Halloween party, but don't let them choose the treats on their own. When they get home, go through the bags of candy together and let them pick a limited number of treats to keep. Remember, as a general rule, the stickier and gooey something is, the worse it is for teeth. Good oral health habits allow children to enjoy sweets as a treat and still keep a healthy smile."

Below are some ideas parents and caregivers can incorporate into festivities to scare the Mouth Monsters away but still keep Halloween full of fun.

Beware of the Mouth Monsters' Favorite Treats!
After a night of candy collecting, kids love to dive into their stash and begin sorting. Before they get started, remember that not all sweet treats impact teeth in the same way. A fun way to guide kids towards more tooth-friendly candy is by sorting goodies according to which are best and worst for your kids' pearly whites, including:

·         Candy to avoid includes gummies, caramels and sour candies. The chewy, sticky candies get stuck in the grooves and crevices of the teeth making it hard for saliva to wash them away which leads to tooth decay. Sour candies have a high acidity content which breaks down tooth enamel, making teeth susceptible to a Mouth Monster invasion.

·         Better choices  include milk chocolate and snack-size packets of pretzels or crackers. These options are less sticky and do not have high acidity, therefore are less harmful to teeth than gummies, caramels or sour candies. However, it's important to limit snacking overall because a child's dental health depends less on what they eat and more on how often they eat it.

·         Best options for a sweet treat include sugar-free gum and dark chocolate. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants like tannins, polyphenols and flavonoids that can inhibit bacteria from sticking to the teeth, preventing infections in gums and battling tooth decay. Sugar-free gum made with xylitol promotes the growth of tooth-protective, non-acidic bacteria which can make it nearly impossible for bacteria and plaque to form.

Finally, for those who are passing out tricks and treats, remember non-food favorites like temporary tattoos, stickers and glow-sticks are great alternatives.

Swish and Brush!
Let's face it - most kids don't look forward to Halloween for the sugar-free gum and dark chocolate. And that's ok. If kids are indulging in any kind of candy, ensure they drink plenty of water after eating the treat.  Encourage them to swish the water around in the mouth to help dislodge particles that can get stuck and encourage the Mouth Monsters to latch onto tiny teeth.

And whatever you do, don't let your young ones go to bed before brushing and flossing if all sides of a tooth cannot be cleaned by brushing alone. It's a busy, exciting time, but as is the case with every other day of the year, kids should brush their teeth for at least 2 minutes, twice a day.

Women's Heart Attack Symptoms

7 Heart Attack Signs Women -- and Doctors -- Often Miss

Conventional wisdom has it that heart attacks come out of the blue. We're also trained to expect a heart attack to happen a certain way: The victim clutches his chest, writhes in pain, and collapses. But for women, it often doesn't happen that way. Study after study shows heart attacks and heart disease are under-diagnosed in women, with the explanation being that they didn't have symptoms.

But research shows that's not always the case. Women who've had heart attacks realize, looking back, that they experienced significant symptoms -- they just didn't recognize them as such.

In a study funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 95 percent of women (that's almost all!) who'd had heart attacks reported experiencing symptoms that were decidedly new or different from their previous experience a month or more before their attacks.

Even when a heart attack is occurring, women are often slow to realize what's happening and call a doctor. The reason? Women's heart attack symptoms are different than men's. This failure to recognize heart attack signs in women has led to a grim statistic: Women are more likely to die from sudden cardiac death than men are, and two thirds of women who have a heart attack don't recover completely.

To prevent a heart attack from sneaking up on you, watch for these 7 little-known signs of heart attack:

Fatigue. More than 70 percent of women in the NIH study reported extreme fatigue in the month or months prior to their heart attacks. This was not just your run-of-the-mill tiredness -- the kind you can power through -- this was an overwhelming fatigue that sidelined them from their usual schedules for a few days at a time.

Sleeplessness or insomnia. Despite their fatigue, women who've had heart attacks remember experiencing unexplained inability to fall asleep or stay asleep during the month before their heart attacks.

Anxiety and stress. Stress has long been known to up the risk of heart attack. But what women report is the emotional experience; before their heart attacks they felt anxious, stressed, and keyed up, noticeably more than usual. Moments before or during a heart attack, many women report a feeling they describe as "impending doom;" they're aware that something's drastically wrong and they can't cope, but they're not sure what's going on.

Indigestion or nausea. Stomach pain, intestinal cramps, nausea, and digestive disruptions are another sign reported by women heart attack patients. Become familiar with your own digestive habits, and pay attention when anything seems out of whack. Note especially if your system seems upset and you haven't eaten anything out of the ordinary.

Shortness of breath. Of the women in the NIH study, more than 40 percent remembered experiencing this symptom. One of the comments the women made is that they noticed they couldn't catch their breath while walking up the stairs or doing other daily tasks.

Flu-like symptoms. Clammy, sweaty skin, along with feeling lightheaded and weak, can lead women to wonder if they have the flu when, in fact, they're having a heart attack.

Jaw, ear, neck, back, or shoulder pain. While pain and numbness in the chest, shoulder, and arm is a common sign of heart attack (at least, among men), women often don't experience the pain this way. Instead, many women say they felt pain and a sensation of tightness running along their jaw and down the neck, and sometimes up to the ear, as well. The pain may extend down to the shoulder and arm--particularly on the left side--or it may feel like a backache or pulled muscle in the neck and back.

How to protect yourself or the women you care about

In addition to the symptoms they do have, women differ from men in another significant way -- they may not experience many of the symptoms we traditionally associate with heart attacks. This, experts say, is a major reason why women's heart attacks go unrecognized and untreated. Almost half of all women in the NIH study felt no chest pain, even during the heart attack itself. Numbness is another symptom women may not experience, experts say.

If your body is doing unusual things and you just don't feel "right," don't wait. Go see your doctor and ask for a thorough work-up. And if you have any risk factors for cardiac disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, or family history of heart disease, mention these to the doctor. Time is of the essence, so don't count on medical staff to know your background or read your chart -- tell them your risk factors right away, so your condition can be evaluated fully and completely.

Medications and Oral Health

Many medications both those prescribed by your doctor and the ones you buy on your own affect your oral health.

A common side effect of medications is dry mouth. Saliva helps keep food from collecting around your teeth and neutralizes the acids produced by plaque. Those acids can damage the hard surfaces of your teeth. Dry mouth increases your risk for tooth decay. Your soft oral tissues, gums, cheek lining, tongue can be affected by medications as well. For example, people with breathing problems often use inhalers. Inhaling medication through your mouth can cause a fungal infection called oral candidiasis. Sometimes called thrush, this infection appears as white spots in your mouth and can be painful. Rinsing your mouth after using your inhaler may prevent this infection.

Cancer treatments also can affect oral health. If possible, see your dentist before beginning treatment. He or she can ensure that your mouth is healthy and, if necessary, can prescribe treatments to help you maintain good oral health. Your dentist also is interested in the medications you are taking because many can affect your dental treatments. Your dentist may want to speak with your physician when planning your treatment. Rare but serious jaw problems also can occur in people who’ve received bone strengthening drugs to treat cancer and, to a lesser extent, osteoporosis.

These are only a few examples of how medications can affect your oral health. It is important that your dentist knows about the medications you are taking so that he or she can provide the best dental care for you. Tell your dentist about your medication use and your overall health, especially if you have had any recent illnesses or have any chronic conditions. Provide a health history including both prescription and over-the-counter products. Always let your dentist know when there are changes in your health or medication use.

Be sure to talk with your dentist about how to properly secure and dispose of any unused, unwanted or expired medications, especially if there are any children in the household. Also, take the time to talk with your children about the dangers of using prescription drugs for non-medical purposes.

How to Keep Your Fitness Goals on Track

Start with a workout plan that's a good fit for you, expert says

The New Year's resolutions many made to get fit have stalled by now. And one expert thinks that's because many people set their goals too high.

"The point isn't to become a marathoner in one exercise session or return to your high school athletic glory days all at once," Dr. Jamy Ard, co-director of the Weight Management Center at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, said in a center news release.

"The point is to get over the inertia that has taken root in your self-motivation world and remind yourself of why you value being active," he explained.

You'll improve your chances of success if you have a workout program that's a good fit for you, Ard said.

"Physical activity not only needs to be simple and structured enough to meet your lifestyle demands, but also enjoyable enough for you to look forward to it," he added.

Ard offered some advice about how to start and maintain an exercise regimen. It begins with finding something you enjoy, whether it's going to the gym, starting a walking program or joining a running group.

You need to start slowly and have a simple plan. That could be a short stroll around the block or a 10-minute walk at work. Your plan should be so easy to do that it will be almost impossible for you to find excuses not to do it.

Keep challenging yourself by adding a little more to your fitness routine on a regular basis. If you're more active today than yesterday, you're moving in the right direction, Ard said.

"Seeing positive change can be extremely reinforcing, no matter how small. And maybe that will be enough to get you springing back sooner rather than later," he said.

Diet Soft Drinks and Women's Hearts

Those who consumed the most had highest risk, but the study results are preliminary

Women who are heavy consumers of diet drinks might be more likely to experience heart attacks , dangerous blood clots and other cardiovascular problems than those who rarely or never consume artificially sweetened beverages, according to a large, new study.

The findings come from a study of nearly 60,000 healthy postmenopausal women in the United States. Participants were asked to estimate how many artificially sweetened drinks they'd had each day for the past three months. Diet soft drinks and low-calorie fruit drinks were counted toward the daily total.

Researchers divided the women, whose average age was 63, into four groups based on their overall consumption. The heaviest consumers had two or more diet drinks a day. The next group had five to seven artificially sweetened drinks a week. The third group had one to four drinks a week. The least frequent consumers said they never or only rarely indulged in diet drinks, reporting between zero and three in a month.

About nine years later, researchers checked to see how many women had experienced any of these heart-related problems: heart attacks; strokes; blood clots that threaten the legs, arms, organs or head; surgery to reopen clogged arteries ; heart failure ; or death from heart trouble.

Heavy consumers of diet drinks were about 30 percent more likely to have suffered heart trouble during the course of the study than women who rarely or never had artificially sweetened beverages. Nearly 9 percent of frequent consumers had a serious heart event compared to about 7 percent of women who rarely or never indulged.

"This is not the first study to show a relationship between diet soda intake and the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease ," said Susie Swithers, a professor of psychological sciences at Purdue University who was not involved in the study.

"This shouldn't be a surprise to us anymore," said Swithers, who is studying the effects of artificial sweeteners in animals.

The findings are scheduled for presentation Sunday at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, in Washington, D.C.

The study authors and beverage industry representatives point out that the study has some significant limitations. Because it only followed women over time, asking about habits and patterns that were already in place, it can't prove that diet drinks caused their heart problems.

"The women who had the greatest risk of cardiovascular effects consumed two or more diet beverages per day," the American Beverage Association said in a statement prepared in response to the study. "However, they also had higher incidence of smoking , diabetes , hypertension and overweight -- all known risk factors for heart disease. Thus, it is impossible to attribute their cardiovascular health issues to their diet beverage intake."

The researchers said they adjusted their numbers to try to account for those differences, as well as other relevant factors such as exercise and caloric intake .

Still, an expert said this one study isn't a reason to give up a favorite low-calorie drink.

"I don't think these findings in and of themselves are grounds for changing any habits right now," said study author Dr. Ankur Vyas, a cardiovascular disease fellow at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. "A lot more work needs to be done."

Still, Swithers said her studies have pointed to a couple ways diet drinks might lead to heart problems. She said animals that eat regular sugar after consuming a diet heavy in artificial sweeteners have a disrupted response to the real thing.

"[Like diabetics], they become hyperglycemic," she said. "Their blood sugars go up higher than they should."

They also make less of a heart-protective protein, she said.

"If drinking diet soda interferes with this system, then over the long term you're taking something away that protects your cardiovascular health, and that could be what's contributing to these effects," Swithers said.

Data for the study came from the U.S. government-funded Women's Health Initiative Observational Study.

Results presented at medical meetings are considered preliminary until they are scrutinized by outside experts for publication in a medical journal.

 

Dental Health and Overall Health

Healthy mouth, healthy body: The link between them may surprise you.

 

The condition of your mouth is closely tied to your overall health. Find out how oral health is linked to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and more.

Taking care of your teeth isn't just about having a nice smile and pleasant breath. Recent research has found a number of links between oral health and overall health.  While in many cases, the nature of this link still isn't clear — researchers have yet to conclude whether the connections are causal or correlative — what is certain is that the condition of your mouth is closely tied to your overall physical health.

Oral Health and Diabetes

Doctors have known for years that type 2 diabetics have an increased incidence of periodontitis, or gum disease. In July 2008 the connection was further highlighted: Researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health followed 9,296 nondiabetic participants, measuring their level of periodontic bacteria over the course of 20 years. "We found that people who had higher levels of periodontal disease had a twofold risk of developing type 2 diabetes over that time period compared to people with low levels or no gum disease," explains Ryan Demmer, PhD, associate researcher at the department of epidemiology at the Mailman School and the lead author. While more research is needed before doctors can conclude that gum disease actually leads to diabetes, there are already a few theories about why this might be the case: One proposes that when infections in your mouth get bad enough, they can lead to low-grade inflammation throughout your body, which in turn wreaks havoc on your sugar-processing abilities. "There are all kinds of inflammatory molecules," says Dr. Demmer, "and it's believed that maybe some attach to insulin receptors and prevent the body's cells from using the insulin to get glucose into the cell."

Oral Health and Heart Disease

As with diabetes, the connection between poor oral health and cardiovascular conditions has been recognized — the two are often found together — but it still hasn't been determined conclusively whether or not there is a direct causal relationship between them. (One reason is that there are a number of other potential risk factors — such as smoking and old age — that can lead both to gum disease and heart disease.) However, in a 2005 study funded by the NIH, 1,056 randomly selected participants with no prior heart attacks or strokes were evaluated for levels of periodontal bacteria: After removing the effects of the other risk factors of age, gender, and smoking, it was found that there was an independent relationship between gum disease and heart disease, says Moise Desvarieux, MD, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology at the Mailman School and lead author of the study. One theory about why this may occur, says Dr. Desvarieux, is that small amounts of bacteria enter your bloodstream while you're chewing. "Bad" bacteria from an infected mouth may lodge itself inside blood vessels, ultimately causing dangerous blockages. Strengthening his theory is the fact that when scientists have looked at atherosclerotic blood vessels, they have sometimes found fragments of periodontal bacteria. Meanwhile, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007 established that aggressive treatment of gum disease reduces the incidence of atherosclerosis within six months.

Pregnancy Complications and Gum Disease

For many pregnant women, gum infections stem from the fluctuating hormone levels that come with pregnancy, says Marsha Rubin, DDS, practicing diplomat of special-care dentistry at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, who sees many pregnant patients in her practice. Others neglect their oral care during pregnancy, since they have much on their minds, she adds. But that's a mistake: Scientists believe that gum disease or inflammation in the mouth possibly triggers an increase in a chemical compound called prostaglandin, which induces early labor. While this theory has not yet been confirmed, a 2001 study found that pregnant women who develop gum disease between weeks 21 and 24 are four to seven times more likely to give birth before week 37. There is evidence that poor gum health in the extreme can lead to low birth weight as well. A number of studies — including a 2007 study of 3,567 Turkish women and a 2007 study of 1,305 Brazilian women — found a relationship between periodontal disease, preterm birth, and low birth weight.

Pneumonia and Gum Disease

There has been a link established between poor oral health and pneumonia, though much of the research focuses on high-risk populations. A 2008 study of elderly participants found that the number who developed pneumonia was 3.9 times higher in patients with periodontal infection than in those free from it. "The lungs are very close to the mouth," says Rubin. "Even in a healthy mouth there is lots of bacteria, but bacteria in a not-healthy mouth can get aspirated into the lungs, causing pneumonia or aggravating COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder." Several intervention studies cited by the CDC show that an improvement in oral health can lead to a reduction in respiratory infection.

Pancreatic Cancer and Gum Disease

A study published in 2007 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute surveyed 51,529 American men about their health every two years between 1986 and 2002. Of the 216 participants who developed pancreatic cancer, 67 of them also had periodontal disease. Independent of the participants' smoking status, the study found that having a history of periodontal disease was associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. This, according to the study, could be because of systemic inflammation or increased levels of carcinogenic compounds produced in the infected mouth. Interestingly, another viable theory about why gum disease may cause type 2 diabetes points to damage to the pancreas as well. "With the pancreatic cancer study, we thought it was very interesting that you have this localized infection that has an impact on a systemic organ that is very intimately tied to the pathophysiology of diabetes," says Dr. Desvarieux. Reasons for why this might be are as yet unknown.