You make sure to fill your diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, brush your teeth twice a day, and even use mouthwash pretty often. But when it comes to flossing your teeth—you like to drag your feet. If there’s any oral hygiene habit that you should stay consistent with, it’s flossing your teeth!

Rather than skipping this crucial step in your dental care routine any longer, take a few moments to review this week’s blog post from your local dentist. It could just save you time, money, and your smile in the long run!

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Alcohol consumption causes approximately 20,000 cancer deaths in the U.S. annually, especially oral cavity cancer in men and breast cancer in women, according to a study in the American Journal of Public Health. It is the first comprehensive analysis of alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in the U.S. in more than 30 years, the study authors noted.

Notably, even moderate drinkers who consume 1.5 drinks daily or fewer accounted for 30% of alcohol-caused cancer deaths, according to researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine and the School of Public Health.

Cancers of the mouth, throat, and esophagus were common causes of alcohol-related cancer deaths among men, resulting in a total of about 6,000 annual deaths, they noted. Breast cancer was the most common cause of alcohol-caused cancer deaths in women, resulting in about 6,000 deaths annually, or about 15% of all breast cancer mortality.

In addition, alcohol was cited as a prominent cause in the premature loss of life, resulting in the loss of about 18 years among people who died of cancers attributed to alcohol, the study found.

Previous research consistently shows that alcohol increases the risk for cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx, larynx, esophagus, and liver. And recent studies show that alcohol also increases the risk of cancers of the colon, rectum, and breast. While estimates have shown that alcohol accounts for about 4% of all cancer-related deaths worldwide, there is a lack of attention focusing on cancer-related deaths in the U.S., the researchers noted.

The study’s estimate that 3.5% of all cancer deaths are alcohol-related was slightly higher than previous estimates of 3% for the U.S. and probably stems from including additional cancers, especially women’s breast cancer, the researchers noted. “Nevertheless, our findings demonstrate there has been little, if any, progress in reducing alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in the United States,” they wrote.

The findings confirm previous research that oral cavity and pharyngeal, laryngeal, and esophageal cancers account for the majority of alcohol-related cancer deaths among men, and breast cancer for the majority of such deaths among women. Reducing alcohol consumption is an important and underemphasized cancer prevention strategy that receives surprisingly little attention among public health, medical, cancer, advocacy, and other organizations in the U.S., they added.

They speculated that one reason there has not been more of an effort to lower alcohol use is due to the purported cardiovascular benefits of low-level alcohol consumption, such as news reports about the beneficial effects of red wine.

The study authors urge medical and public health organizations and providers to make “clear and consistent” statements emphasizing that alcohol is a known human carcinogen, that there is no safe level of drinking, and that alcohol use should be lowered or avoided to reduce the risk of cancer.

On the lighter side, in an earlier study I found, most people have a highly effective natural repair mechanism for correcting the damage done to the DNA that causes the cancer. So, although most are unlikely to develop cancer from social drinking, if you are missing that gene that repairs the damage, you are at higher risk.

Dr. St. Clair maintains a private dental practice in Rowley and Newburyport dedicated to health-centered family dentistry. If there are certain topics you would like to see written about or questions you have please email them to him at jpstclair@stclairdmd.com. You can view all previously written columns at www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com/blog.

No matter what you do for a living, the most important key to success is to be principled. Those who follow indisputable and grounded principles are much more likely to achieve successful outcomes and realize satisfaction from a job well done.

However, change is inevitable. And, change is not always easy. Let me use dentistry as an example, since this is what I know best.

Technology and techniques in dentistry change. Some dentists jump on the bandwagon right away with every new gadget. Sometimes it’s hard to resist because there are so many cool things available. There are others who are late adopters. Dental technology and techniques may change, but principles don’t.

Principles are based upon a sound foundation of trying to do what’s right and what’s fair. Incorporating innovations in the practice of dentistry enables a dentist to be successful and simultaneously remain principled. For example, a couple of years ago I invested in a piece of equipment that I had resisted for a long time. I was unsure of the amount I would be able to use it and continue to stick with my principles. Today, I can’t imagine practicing without it. It has made me a better, more conservative dentist.

However, I have seen and been on the other side as well, where there is a sense of urgency to “buy” the technology in order to just have it without completely understanding the relevance. This can lead to technology ending up as a coat rack and a relatively wasted investment.

For others, change might be difficult. It is easy to get bogged down with tradition. That can be good and that can be bad. Sometime the best solutions we have are tried and true. However, it is important to keep an open mind. If a new technology or technique is scientifically tested and the dentist feels it improves the core foundation of grounded principles they use to treat their patients, they almost have an obligation to adopt it.

Other than having a firm set of principles, another key to success is learning people skills. Interacting with people can sometimes be tricky. Everyone has their own set of “issues”, and everyone has their good days and their bad days. We don’t have to like everyone we come in contact with, but learning how to deal with all kinds of people is a valuable skill. When it comes down to it, this brings us back to our core set of principles. If we center our conversations around our principles and people see our interactions are genuine, trust and friendships can be made.

Those who have grounded principles and have achieved some level of success in their own eyes find themselves wanting to become better and better. It is important to become dedicated to the pursuit of excellence, no matter what you do, and to seek out the expertise and knowledge of others.

Your principles will guide you through whatever lies ahead, and your flexibility will enable you to handle whatever the future holds, which is something nobody knows for sure. Perseverance, one of my favorite words, is defined as, “steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.”

Dr. St. Clair maintains a private dental practice in Rowley and Newburyport dedicated to health-centered family dentistry. If there are certain topics you would like to see written about or questions you have please email them to him at jpstclair@stclairdmd.com. You can view all previously written columns at www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com/blog.

Here is a summary of some facts I found from different surveys done over the last decade.

Are you happy with your smile?

• 50% consider the smile the first facial feature they notice
• 80% are not happy with their smile

• Smile enhanced procedures outnumber eyelid surgeries 5 to 1

Americans do not spend enough time on oral home care or professional care.

• 32% of Americans cite bad breath as the least attractive trait of their co-workers
• 38.5 total days an average American spends brushing teeth over lifetime (compared to (1) year of your life spent on hold)
• 73% of Americans would rather go grocery shopping than floss

Interesting stuff:

• It is recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least six (6) feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.
• A toothpick is the object most often choked on by Americans
• Every year, kids in North America spend close to half a billion dollars on chewing gum

The number of cavities in the average mouth is down and people are keeping their teeth longer.   People, on average, have healthier mouths than even 10 years ago.  Specifically:

• The decline in tooth decay was greatest among kids but holds across every age group
• 40% of young people age 6 to 19 have never had cavities.  That’s down from 50% a decade ago
• The proportion of people over age 60 who lost all their teeth decreased from 33% to 25%

• People who smoke remain three times more likely than non-smokers to lose all their teeth

Despite the fact that more Americans have dental coverage than ever before, dental visits are on the decline. There are many reasons for this.

• Regardless of insurance coverage, adults still report cost as the number one reason for not visiting the dentist
• Benefits from insurance carriers are decreasing despite increases in premiums
• More employers are choosing PPO (network) plans with limited providers leading to decreased visits
• Patients report they are less likely to spend discretionary dollars on dentistry vs. personal technology

And most important to consider:

• The average woman smiles about 62 times a day! A man?  Only 8!
• Kids laugh around 400 times a day. Grown-ups just 15

Dr. St. Clair maintains a private dental practice in Rowley and Newburyport dedicated to health-centered family dentistry. If there are certain topics you would like to see written about or questions you have please email them to him at jpstclair@stclairdmd.com. You can view all previously written columns at www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com/blog.