Brushing your teeth,
buttoning your shirt, or opening a child proof bottle are all routine daily
activities that most people take for granted. But if you have arthritis and it affects your
hands, performing these and other basic tasks can be challenging, if not
impossible. Theoretically, "exercising" your hands should reduce the
pain, improve your range of motion, and, ultimately, enable you to perform more
easily the various tasks of daily living. However, early in the morning use of your
hands may aggravate your situation.
Arthritis of the hands
manifests differently depending on what kind of arthritis you have. Osteoarthritis, which is the most common cause
of hand arthritis, involves the protective cartilage that covers the ends of
your bones and its gradual deteriorates is due to wear and tear or, in some
cases, to injury. If your hand pain is caused by osteoarthritis there’s a high
probability that flossing and brushing your teeth may be affected.
By contrast,
rheumatoid arthritis, sometimes referred to as RA, is an immune system disorder
that damages the cells in the tissue that lines and lubricates the joints in
your hand. If rheumatoid arthritis is
the cause of your hand pain, the distinction between osteoarthritis - and
rheumatoid arthritis -induced hand pain is important for several reasons*:
First, if your pain is
caused by rheumatoid, you should not attempt to alleviate it with exercise
alone. So the exercise associated with brushing your teeth could exacerbate
your joint problems. Second,
strengthening exercises can be harmful if performed aggressively and should be
done in moderation by people with rheumatoid arthritis. Third, you should perform any type of
exercise with caution while you're having a flare up of the joints.
So that your oral
health does not suffer due to the deterioration and pain associated with either
arthritis I would suggest the purchase an electric toothbrush. My preference is the
Oral-B, but it really doesn’t matter which one you
use, you just need to use one. Regardless
of your condition, my experience with patients who use the Oral-B regularly has
shown results in the positive care of their oral health. With respect to flossing, which is just as
important in maintaining your oral hygiene, you may need to increase the number
of visits to the dentist to clean your teeth where you can’t otherwise preform
the task. If you discuss this with your
dentist, you should be able to make arrangements just
to have your teeth cleaned on alternating appointments and forego unnecessary
exam fees. Interestingly enough, there is a possibility that the prescription
by your physician may afford you insurance coverage for the extra visits. As a side note, if you utilize a health
savings account, you certainly should be about to cover the costs of all your
visits with pre-tax health dollars. If
there is anything we can do to assist you, please do not hesitate to contact
us.
*This information is
not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Some of this
information was provided by Johns Hopkins website on arthritis. (http://www.johnshopkinshealthalerts.com).
Novy Scheinfeld, DDS, PC
290 Carpenter Drive, 200A
Atlanta (Sandy Springs), GA 30328
404-256-3620
receptionist@rightsmilecenter.com
Related articles
- On the Other Hand, Maybe
I Have Rheumatoid Arthritis (everydayhealth.com)
- Using Natural Way
Therapy For Arthritis
(beauteclairereallywork.typepad.com)
- Dentist Sandy
Springs - 4 Steps to Promoting Good Oral Health
(therightsmile.wordpress.com)
- Managing Symptoms
of Arthritis in Your Hands (everydayhealth.com)
- What are the early
warning signs of arthritis? (zocdoc.com)
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