Health
Most Americans lie to their dentists, here's why
Over half of Americans are lying through their teeth — about their teeth.
That’s according to a new survey conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by Aspen Dental, which asked 2,000 American adults about their dental hygiene, as reported by SWNS.
The study spoke to the mixed emotions Americans experience when it comes to dental visits, including fear, anxiety and discomfort, which can often lead to delayed care.
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In the poll, 60% of respondents confessed to wanting to impress their dentist during office visits, leading 57% of them to fib about their dental hygiene.
Over half of those in the study confessed to wanting to impress their dentist during office visits. (iStock)
And yet, 48% of people said they believed their dentists could see right through their lies, according to SWNS.
Sixty-four percent of respondents said they felt guilty about their dishonesty. Millennials and Gen Xers felt the least guilty about lying compared to older Americans.
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A third of those who have lied to the dentist (33%) simply didn’t want their dentist to think less of them, while a fifth (19%) said they don’t mean to be dishonest, but that “panic lies” accidentally slip out, especially among Gen Zers (27%), per SWNS.
Obstacles to dental care
Anxiety is the biggest obstacle keeping Americans from visiting the dentist (24%), affecting 29% of women and 17% of men, the survey found.
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Twenty-two percent said the actual dental work put them off, with baby boomers feeling the most uncomfortable in that regard. And 13% have avoided the dentist’s office because they were embarrassed about their poor dental hygiene.
The survey also revealed that nearly a quarter of Americans (22%) had discomfort or soreness in their mouths at least once per week, with millennials experiencing more discomfort than other generations (34%).
More women than men expressed feelings of anxiety when it comes to dental appointments. (iStock)
These factors may contribute to the 45% of respondents who have not visited a dentist in the last year and the nearly one in five Americans (19%) who haven’t seen the inside of a dentist’s office in five years.
Nearly one in five people haven’t seen the inside of a dentist’s office in five years.
“Maintaining adequate oral health can be overwhelming,” Dr. Taylor Sutton, multi-practice owner and practicing dentist at Aspen Dental in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, told SWNS.
“That’s why it’s so important to have a dentist you feel comfortable connecting with, who shows empathy and leaves all judgment at the door.”
After leaving the dentist, respondents reported following improved dental habits for eight days before slipping back into old routines. (iStock)
Dr. Tracy Redden, multi-practice owner and practicing dentist at Aspen Dental in Boston, echoed the importance of proper oral care.
“Neglecting oral hygiene — whatever your reason — can lead to serious health issues,” she told SWNS.
“Your mouth is the gateway to your body that can affect your overall health. Maintaining oral health is not a choice, but a necessity for our overall well-being.”
Dental dos and don’ts
When leaving the dentist’s office determined to maintain better dental health, respondents said their good hygiene habits last only about eight days before they slip back into bad habits.
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Over half of the survey respondents confessed they don’t regularly floss, and nearly seven in 10 said they brush their teeth for less than two minutes per session.
“You may not need to use dental floss as frequently as toothpaste, but it should still be a part of your daily dental cleaning,” Dr. Arash Ravanbakhsh of Inglewood Family Dental in Alberta, Canada, said in an email to Fox News Digital.
Millennials and Gen Xers felt the least guilty about lying to their dentists compared to older Americans. (iStock)
“While dentists recommend brushing your teeth twice a day, this is not the only cleaning method you should be using daily. Mouthwash and flossing also play a huge role in keeping your oral hygiene in top condition,” Ravanbakhsh added.
One mistake patients make when cleaning at home is using too much pressure when brushing, according to the doctor.
“You may not need to use dental floss as frequently as toothpaste, but it should still be a part of your daily dental cleaning.”
“Just because you brush your teeth harder does not mean you are giving them a more thorough clean,” he wrote. “In fact, this could damage your teeth and gums.”
To safely and properly clean your teeth, Ravanbakhsh recommends using a manual brush with soft bristles or an electric toothbrush.
Health
Katie Couric couldn’t remember the year or the president during frightening brain episode
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
Health
One walking habit could signal a healthier brain after 80, scientists say
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
Health
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