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antioxidant

How Antioxidants Can Help Oral and Overall Health

Oxidative stress is a known contributing factor in the development of chronic inflammatory diseases, including periodontitis, or gum disease. Clearwater Periodontist Dr. Todd Britten explains that adding antioxidants to your diet or the use of natural topical antioxidants as part of an at-home care regimen can help improve oral health by preventing or helping repair oxidative damage.

Antioxidant products used in the oral cavity can promote homeostasis, enhance wound healing, and alter microbial flora during medical treatments such as chemotherapy and dental procedures, or by dental materials. Dr. Britten has found that antioxidant products can also have a healthy antimicrobial (germ-killing) effect. They can also be used to help heal ulcers and other types of tissue trauma or injury.

A product that Dr. Todd Britten recommends regularly in his periodontal practice is PerioSciences AO Provantage Gel [www.periosciences.com]. “It is a gel that can be used up to 5 times a day for many conditions. PerioSciences also makes a toothpaste and a rinse which can be used in addition to the gel to improve periodontal health.” Dr. Britten goes on to explain that the essential oils in the mouthwash (menthol and thymol) have an anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis effect without damaging tissue cells and antioxidants (phloretin and ferulic acid) have beneficial effects on the cells and tissues found in the mouth.
“Your dental professional can recommend specific regimens for each type of surgery or any acute conditions requiring antioxidant products. A maintenance program after that is often recommended.”

Dr. Britten also goes on to explain that anti-inflammatory foods incorporated into the diet are also beneficial for oral and overall health. According to the American Heart Association, some foods high in antioxidants or have a high degree of anti-inflammatory effect would be fatty fishes, dark leafy greens, tea, whole grains, nuts, ginger and even dark chocolate.

“Since we know that periodontal disease is connected to variety of other diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis, treating inflammation by using antioxidants both in our diet and/or topically may not only help manage periodontal diseases but may also help with the management of other chronic inflammatory conditions.”

Antioxidants for Oral and Overall Health

Adding antioxidants to your diet has been shown to fight inflammation naturally and help protect from disease. Chronic inflammatory diseases are becoming more severe and common and currently contribute to more than half of the deaths worldwide. Inflammation is associated with autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular diseases like hypertension and heart disease, lung and airway diseases like asthma, metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, mental illnesses like depression, and some forms of cancer such as colon cancer.

Both for oral health and overall health, it is helpful to regularly take antioxidants and/or natural anti-inflammatory items into your diet to help reduce inflammation systemically.

 Anti-inflammatory foods

Not every food (or antioxidant) works for every person but encouraging your patients to include them in their diet could provide them with an extra line of defense.

According to the American Heart Association, the following foods are high in antioxidants or have a high degree of anti-inflammatory effect.

  • Fatty fishes high in omega-3 fatty acids are well known for reducing inflammation. They include fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, and mackerel. Some of these can be high in mercury, so eating them more than three times per week is generally not recommended.
  • Dark leafy greens. Generally, the darker or more colorful the vegetable, the higher the antioxidative effect. Remember, patients on certain anticoagulants and those with a specific type of kidney stone disease need to limit their intake of some dark leafy greens.
  • Tea is well known for containing many types of antioxidants. Green tea has been shown to have a higher level of antioxidants, but they are present in black and white teas also.
  • Whole grains. One current diet fad is to go “gluten-free.” Unless you have celiac disease or a medically confirmed gluten intolerance whole grains are an important source of protein and fiber in addition to their anti-inflammatory effect on the body. Examples of healthy whole grains include whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, barley, brown rice, and popcorn (with minimal salt and butter).
  • Nuts are full of antioxidants and reduce inflammation. In addition, they are high in fiber which makes you feel full.
  • Ginger. In addition to its anti-inflammatory effect, ginger helps to settle an upset stomach, reduce the effects of motion sickness, and reduces muscle soreness.

Source: Dr. Robert Winter, Spear Digest

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