Plastic in Toothpaste???

Yup, you read that right.  Some toothpaste companies are adding small bits of plastic to their toothpaste called polyethylene.  The claims are that the particles are to add color, and are an inactive ingredient in the paste, not even listed on the box.

So, what is the harm you ask?  Well, for starters as a dental hygienist I am seeing plenty of patients who use certain toothpastes that have blue specks around their gums when I clean them.  They may be harmless, but any foreign substance around and in our gums can be an irritant.  Irritants can result in inflammation and bleeding, although there is no conclusive evidence yet that this is occurring.

The second factor to this is environmental.  The polyethylene particles do not dissolve but just break down into smaller and smaller pieces.   The particles are being washed into the drains of our sinks, thus entering the water supply.  While they are filtered out of the public water supply, they are still present in our local rivers.

There are a few states that are starting to ban microbeads from products such as toothpastes, face wash and lotions.  Colorado is not one of them.

February is Children's Dental Health Month

So, as a dental provider I often find myself biting my tongue.  Often times I find myself in a position where I want to educate a parent that is failing to follow all of the recommendations about their children's teeth. I mean, this stuff is common knowledge right?  The problem is, that even with PSA campaigns and health care practitioners trying to put as much information out there as possible, it isn't common knowledge. 

So I find myself asking these things:  "What if they simply don't know?" ,"What if their cultural differences find certain things acceptable (even though they can put the kids at risk for future dental problems)?"  and probably the most difficult thing, "How would they react if I talked to them about it?"  

So, in honor of Children's Health Month, here are some things that all parents, grandparents and babysitters need to know.

• Baby Bottle Tooth Decay is preventable.  This is where we see very young children with cavities.  I am talking one and two year olds.  This occurs because kids are either put to bed with a bottle, or allowed to sip out of a bottle all day long.  Even with milk, this is harmful!  If your baby needs a bottle for soothing, it is best to use only water.  Obviously, this is for times other than feeding milk or formula for a "meal".  
• Juices should not be given in bottles at full strength.  Again, this is because of decay.  Diluted is best.
• Introduce a sippy cup between 6-9 months of age.  Once your child has the hang of it, you can transition from bottle to sippy cup, and then to a regular cup.  Children should be off the bottle soon after they turn one.
• Babies need to have their teeth brushed too!  Before teeth begin to erupt, a washcloth can be used to clean their gums, and to get them used to you touching their mouths.
• Limit soda, chocolate milk, juices, sports drinks and snacking on carbohydrates between meals.  This is great for everyone, because the sugars in those items will stay on the teeth and can cause cavities in adults and children
• Babies are not born with the bacteria that causes cavities in their mouths.  It has to be introduced, and commonly, this is from an adult sharing utensils with their babies.  

Here at SmileLogic in Broomfield, Colorado we want your kids to be healthy, and to prevent any poor dental experiences.  Many items are available to help with home care.  Floss aids (Gum Chucks!), Xylitol mints, toothpastes and rinses (Spry) and fluoride rinses and toothpastes are all beneficial.  We carry many of these items in our office.

We also accept Medicaid. 

Oil pulling and Essential oils

There are many options today for doing homeopathic remedies in our daily health regimen.  At our dental hygiene office (Broomfield, Colorado), we recommend several things that may be beneficial to your oral health, as well as a more "holistic" approach to dental hygiene care.

Pulling oils: 

From the past through to today oils are used to pull impurities from the mouth. Today’s recommended oils are sesame, sunflower, coconut and olive. Put a tablespoon of the oil in your mouth, and swish and hold it in your mouth for 20 minutes. Spit it out. (Do the laundry or some other task where you are occupied but remembering not to swallow the oil!  Many people do this while showering.) This can be done daily, or weekly, or when you feel like it.  

Essential oils:

Essential oils are distillations of plant essences added to an oil base. Here are a few commonly used ones:

-       The peppermint plant has been used for hundreds of years; the extraction is largely menthol. It is antibacterial, combating infection, and helps cool the mouth while preventing bad breath. It’s used in a majority of our toothpaste. Or at least the flavor of it is added, because we are used to it being there! It also helps in digestion.

-       Tea tree is antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral… this is just the beginning of what this plant’s extracts can offer. Australian in origin, it was extracted in bush stills. It came into common use after Arthur Penfold wrote a series of papers about it in the 1920-30’s. Penfold’s information led to the creation of today’s tea tree industry. It is usually applied as a rubbing oil.

-       Clove is also antibacterial, and relieves (doesn’t cure) irritability, and pain of toothache. Clove oil is often used to rub on the gums of teething babies and children.

-       Neem is better known in the rest of the world for its many medicinal and other uses. For more information about this fast growing flowering tree and its uses click on http://www.discoverneem.com/neem-tree.html

While having your teeth cleaned at SmileLogic, you can request to have an essential oil polish, rather than the traditional flavored polishes that we carry.

I have tried DoTerra Oils, and really like them.  I am not a retailer of them, but they can be found online.

At SmileLogic, we like to have open options.  The best treatment is the treatment that works for you. What works for you, may not work for others, but we do encourage you to investigate these and other natural helpers of teeth and gums. 

Merry Christmas

Wow!  2013 is coming to an end.  Where does the time go!!!

I just want to take a minute to thank everyone who has made SmileLogic the best dental office In Broomfield, Colorado! (in my humble opinion, of course!)

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and safe and happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

What is the deal with gluten?

So, everyone has heard the terms “gluten allergy” or celiac disease.  While the two are linked, they are completely different.  It is estimated that 1 in 133 people have celiac disease.

A gluten intolerance or wheat allergy is a sensitivity that may cause some intestinal discomfort after eating products with gluten.  The symptoms pass after the gluten leaves the body.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes damage to the tissues of the intestines.  Celiac sufferers run the risk of not absorbing foods regularly, which can lead to nutritional deficiencies.

What is gluten exactly, and why is it such a problem now? 

“Much of the world is starving and in order to combat world hunger there had to be a way to make more wheat at a faster rate. Dr. Norman Borlaug is considered the "Father of the Green Revolution" and was given the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970, the Presidential Medal for Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal for his work in creating high-yield dwarf wheat that did indeed help the issue of world hunger. He had solved two problems by producing a high-yield stalk that is shorter and stockier. A short stalk stays alive longer and takes less time to grow – it also uses less fertilizer.” (http://www.rdhmag.com/articles/print/volume-33/issue-10/features/gluten-worries.html)

Unfortunately, no safety testing was done to see how the new strain of wheat affected humans.  The strains produced new gluten strains.  The wheat we consume now is genetically different than wheat 50 years ago.

Oral Problems

Those with celiac disease can experience issues in the mouth.  Some of the conditions are:

• Ø  Delayed tooth eruption in children
• Ø  Enamel defects
• Ø  Increased prevalence of gum recession
• Ø  Cracked corners of the lip (Cheilosis)

More information can be found here: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/

Natural Products to Treat Gum Inflammation

Natural Products to Help Gum Disease – Gingivitis 

Gum disease is a chronic bacterial infection that inflames the gum and mouth

tissues, and then leads to more serious conditions. These conditions

include not only loss of bone in the mouth, but also an increased risk of heart

disease, difficulty in controlling diabetes and low birth weight in babies.

Taking care of your mouth is part of your overall health routine. There are two natural

products that may help with prevention and maintenance of gum disease. The least expensive

is apple cider vinegar.  Diluted in water and used as a mouth rinse, it can reduce the bacterial load in your mouth!

   

Another natural product is CoQ10, which is a natural antioxidant that occurs in

every cell membrane in the body, particularly heart muscle cells. It increases

access to oxygen for the cells which creates better energy transfer. Any time

after a person’s twenties the body may be producing less of it just as we need more

of it. It’s found in most foods, and supplements can be purchased.  If you experience bleeding gums, increasing your intake of CoQ10 may reduce inflammation and bleeding.

Finally, the use of oral probiotic lozenges is effective in the treatment of gum disease.  We all have “good” bacteria and “bad” bacteria in our mouths.  The good bacteria can be overpowered by the bad bacteria, making gingivitis difficult to treat.  Oral probiotics reintroduce more of the good bacteria into our oral tissues, which in turn may decrease the effects of the bad bacteria.  Oral probiotics can be found online or at your health food store. 

How much is your health worth?

General Health and Hygiene

How Much Does Dental Hygiene Cost Compared to…

We hope you will come in twice a year for teeth cleaning for yourself and your family members.  We know our clients too often think of the cost first and put it off, sometimes for years.  Unfortunately, this delay can result in more costly treatments. To help encourage you to come in often and regularly we devised this comparative cost list.

Cleaning appointment:       $88

X-rays:                             $70 once a year

A total cost is around:       $300 a year. 

Just for fun, here are some areas that some of us spend money on regularly without a second thought:

$4.50 per cup of coffee at Starbucks or other fine coffee place. 66 cups of coffee buys a year of dental hygiene!

$9.00 for eating out at lunch  – a month of taking your own lunch will pay for your dental hygiene needs. 

$25.00 for eating dinner out – twelve times, or once a month would pay for your annual dental hygiene.

  Hair cut, coloring, nails is a comparative cost – once a year buys your yearly hygiene

$50 for a tank of gas six tanks of gas is a year of hygiene.

Not to mention other costs such as nails, cell phones, gym memberships!

Why You Can Afford To Have Your Teeth Cleaned Regularly

A cleaning is under $100, so two a year is less than $200. X-rays once a year (at most) are $70.00.  Regular cleanings are the single most effective thing you can do for the health of your mouth, teeth, tongue and gums.  For one person this involves a $20 per month investment, and that is without any insurance applied.

If you let your hygiene appointments go, hoping for the best, you may end up lucky. However, if you need corrective dental costs the prices go much higher.  Examples include:

Fillings                                   $171-350

Periodontal treatment             $175 – 1080, without surgery

Implants                                 $3500 per tooth

There are a wide number of activities in our lives that request us to use a preventive strategy. Car maintenance is a very good comparison; change your oil or change your engine.

At SmileLogic, Inc. we pay attention to when you should be coming in for a cleaning, and notify you. As a courtesy, we try to contact all of our clients when they are due for their preventative treatments, to hopefully keep your visits preventative in nature!