Welcome to our January 2016 Edition!
We’ve come a long way since last year, and it’s all thanks to you. The SoapBox has tackled many topics from technology changes to day-to-day operations and the feedback has been tremendous. Our guest speakers have been a driving factor to this success, and we are ready to extend this offer out to all of you!
If there has been a recent challenge your facility has overcome that you want your members and stakeholders to know about, consider being a guest on the SoapBox! You can forward the newsletter to email contacts, post the link on your website, and even share the newsletter on social media sites. This can help increase website traffic which means more interest in your facility! Interested? Email our designer Katy here.
Our featured Guest Speaker this month is Tanya Dunlap, PhD and Managing Director of Perio Protect, LLC, who focuses on cutting edge Gum Disease treatment. For many of us in the fitness industry, we focus on muscle strength and endurance training. Tanya eloquently describes the need for proper oral health to maintain our healthy lifestyles.
Your Mouth May Get You in Trouble
Your body looks great in the mirror. You feel strong, energetic and agile. You’re proud of the investment you make in your fitness. Does that mean you have a clean bill of health? It all depends on how much you know about your teeth, gums, and proper dental care.
The unfortunate truth is there’s a good chance, like half of all Americans, you have an infection in your mouth that threatens your wellness. It’s gum disease, also known as gingivitis or periodontitis, and, like any infection in your body, it’s a serious threat to your good health. The problem is, you can’t exercise, diet, brush, or floss it away.
You may not even know you have it. Most people don’t. But you can look for warning signs. Bleeding gums when you brush or floss is often the first sign of an infection. 80% of adults show this symptom. Obvious plaque or tartar on your teeth and swollen, red or tender gums typically develop next. In more advanced stages you can have spaces developing between your teeth and sensitive teeth. Persistent bad breath is also very common and can occur at any stage.
Ignoring these symptoms could cost you your teeth; in the same way that stopping your workout regimen could cost you your strength, energy, and body tone. Left untreated, gum disease could even compromise other areas of your well-being. Research shows that there is an association between oral infections and diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, respiratory illnesses, blood clots, and strokes.
The American Dental Association has highlighted 200 possible connections between systemic diseases and oral health. While no one has identified a direct cause, the evidence is clear that seemingly minor infections in your gums, left untreated, can grow and have negative repercussions throughout the body.
Advances in microbiology have led the way to a better understanding of bacterial growth in the mouth. More than 1000 different species of bacteria have been identified in human mouths. We need bacteria in the mouth; a healthy oral flora is good for humans, but when pathogenic bacteria develop and gain too large of a foothold, the bacterial populations can become destructive, causing infections that are tricky to treat.
Development and Effects of Biofilm
The mouth is the perfect incubator for bacteria because it is warm, moist and has an ample food supply for various bacterial species. The mouth and specifically the periodontal pocket (the space between the tooth and gum tissue) is a unique space in the body because it has various concentrations of oxygen that allows for the growth of greater variety of bacteria, from aerobic species to the more pathogenic anaerobes. And all of these bacterial species are living together in a symbiotic community called a biofilm.
Biofilms are fascinatingly complex. Once thought to live predominantly in free floating or planktonic form, most bacteria (approximately 80%) are now known to live in biofilm communities. A biofilm can function like a multi-cellular organism, with communication between individual cells. This development of the community is not random, but a highly organized process during which the bacterial community matures with respect to food sources and to intercommunications between the various micro-organisms. And it is hard to manage the communities because they have defensive properties. You can brush and floss all you want, but you will be fighting a losing battle because your homecare tools just don’t get deep enough.
Treatment is Important
You’ve worked too hard on your health to let gum disease go unchecked. Take another step in your wellness program by asking your dentist about treatment. Most important, make sure your dentist and hygienist are familiar with the most progressive, minimally invasive treatment available today from Perio Protect® –– the homecare system proven effective to thousands of dental professionals.
Combined with professional cleanings, the Perio Protect® approach is simple and comfortable. You just wear a special customized tray to deliver a gel with a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide to fight the infections under your gums where toothbrush, rinse, and floss can’t reach. In minutes the peroxide will penetrate the matrix, kill some of the exposed bacterial cells, and begin to change the microenvironment of the pocket with the release of oxygen. The oxygen is toxic to anaerobes and promotes healing, in part with the stimulation of new blood vessels which happens when it is held under pressure, as it is with the prescription Perio Tray.
Perio Tray delivery takes just 10-15 minutes a day and you can even workout while you wear it. Not only will you be healthier, you’ll also have fresher breath and whiter teeth. Visit PerioProtect.com to learn more. You’ll also find a Perio Protect® provider near you. Contact Tanya for details.
In Case You Missed It
IHRSA industry icons, Bill McBride, Brent Darden, Bryan O’Rourke and Sal Pellegrino, have all agreed to provide our readers with a complimentary “one on one” 30 minute consultation session. If you have a desire to talk with Sal about industry trends, we will arrange a free session with him. If you are interested in a discussion in retaining members or any other topic with Brent, we can make it happen. How about social media questions and concerns, Bryan can provide “one on one” expertise and finally, Bill McBride is able to work with you on strategy, sales & marketing or organizational structure. You can choose one, two, three or all four members to discuss your club’s questions or concerns. All provided to you at no charge. We are not talking about a webinar, we are talking about each of the individuals mentioned above talking directly to you, your management staff or administrative staff, its up to you who you include in the “one on one” 30 minute conference call.
If you are interested in participating in our “Season To Give Back” program, please click on the link below, fill in the necessary fields and we will take care of the rest. Its that easy. We also invite you to share this special offer with other club owners and managers. We want everyone to succeed, and can’t think of a better way to facilitate this goal than with the help of Bill McBride, Brent Darden, Bryan O’Rourke and Sal Pellegrino.
John Mickelson's Soap Box 