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(HealthCentersOnline) - Dentists have urged parents to monitor infants' fluoride consumption. This came in response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of health claims for fluoridated bottled waters.

The approval of health claims for fluoridated bottled waters means that bottlers may now claim that optimally fluoridated water may help prevent tooth decay. However, this claim is not approved for bottled waters marketed for infants. Infants require less fluoride than older children and adults, and excess fluoride can lead to a type of tooth discoloration called fluorosis.

Fluorosis generally involves minor discoloration of tooth enamel, such as the appearance of white or opaque lines, streaks or spots. In severe cases, the discoloration may appear as brown, black or gray spots, and the enamel may become pitted or misshapen. Fluorosis occurs in children whose teeth are still developing. After teeth have erupted in the mouth, they are no longer susceptible to fluorosis.

"Parents who are using baby formula in the first year of their child's life want to closely evaluate the amount of fluoride in the water," Dr. Dick Wiberg of the Minnesota Dental Association said in a press release.

The American Dental Association (ADA) has issued guidelines to help parents monitor their infants' consumption of fluoride. They recommend breast milk over formula, and ready-to-feed formula over liquid concentrate or powdered formula. If liquid concentrate or powdered formula is used, the ADA recommends mixing it with fluoride-free water, such as purified, demineralized, deionized, distilled or reverse osmosis filtered water.

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(HealthCentersOnline) - Recent studies emphasize the importance of dental care in preventing or controlling diabetes and cardiovascular disease and possibly even avoiding cancer.

Brushing correctly twice a day, flossing correctly daily and seeing a dentist and hygienist two to four times a year are crucial in preventing gum disease. Eighty percent of adults have periodontal disease, according to Dr. Chris Kammer of the Center for Cosmetic Dentistry, but many of them are unaware of it. The disease increases levels of bacteria that travel from the mouth to rest of the body, contributing to complications such as arterial plaque and atherosclerosis.

"Most people don't think of their dentist when it comes to health problems that are not found in one's mouth. But a dentist can actually be the first line of defense in reducing the risk for many of the most deadly diseases," Kammer stated in a news release issued this month.

Highlights of findings on the connection between oral health and serious diseases:

• Periodontal disease can result in tooth loss, which increases risk of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and heart attack.
• Dental care is especially important for people with diabetes because hyperglycemia complicates control of periodontal disease. For the millions of people with diabetes that has not yet been diagnosed, bleeding gums and other markers of periodontal disease can be symptoms of their diabetes and lead to diagnosis and treatment.
• Treating gum disease may reduce women's risk of developing gestational diabetes during pregnancy, according to recent research.
• A recent study by the American Association for Cancer Research found that a history of gum disease increased men's risk of pancreatic cancer by 63 percent, even after accounting for other factors such as diabetes.

Kammer urged people with symptoms of periodontal disease, such as red gums or bad breath, to see a dentist. "If you washed your hands and they started to bleed, you would be alarmed, right? Then how come the majority of people are not alarmed when they brush their teeth and their gums bleed?" he noted.

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