by LID Admin | Oct 23, 2013 | Dental Decay Prevention, General Dental Care, Interesting Reading, Uncategorized
That’s right, coconut oil may improve your oral health! You may have heard a fair amount of praise surrounding coconut oil, from its would healing abilities to its high cooking smoke point – but have you heard what it can do for you oral health? The technique which is termed ‘oil pulling’ claims to do wonders for your teeth & gums and your overall oral health! Your next dental visit may not be as daunting as you thought when adding this to your daily dental routine. What is Oil Pulling? You must think I have gone bonkers but I have looked into this so called ‘oil pulling’ and it seems to be the real deal. I am currently trying it out myself so I will report back in a few weeks once I have given sufficient time to work its magic. At present I have done it for two days and I have to say, so far it has made my mouth feel much cleaner. Oil pulling is an age-old Ayurvedic remedy that uses natural oils to clean and detoxify teeth and gums. It has for some people even improved the colour of their teeth making them whiter and brighter. There has also been evidence that shows that it is beneficial in improving gums and removing harmful bacteria! So how do you ‘oil pull’? From my internet research most people use 1 teaspoon or a tablespoon of coconut oil of which you place in your mouth. The idea is to swish it around in your mouth for 10-20 minutes (no gargling). You swish and pull the oil through your...
by LID Admin | Oct 23, 2013 | Canberra Dentist, Dental Decay Prevention, Interesting Reading, New Dental Products, Uncategorized
Oral biologists formulated a mint that fights cavities with an ingredient called Cavistat. Cavistat contains two main components that protect the teeth. First, the amino acid arginine metabolizes certain bacteria, which neutralizes the acid generated by sugars. This raises the pH to help prevent damage to teeth. Cavistat also introduces other chemical compounds that protect against the dissolving of the minerals of the teeth. with tooth-decaying, cavity-causing sugar. For the past 40 years, experts have seen a decrease in the amount of tooth decay in children; but according to Centers for Disease Control statistics, the trend is reversing. To tackle the problem, one dental scientist has found a way to use candy to help prevent cavities. Tooth decay in kids has increased 28 percent in the past eight years. Experts believe too many sugary, processed foods and not enough brushing are to blame. A key factor in fighting cavities is found in your mouth. “Saliva is the great protector against cavities,” said Israel Kleinberg, D.D.S., Ph.D., an oral biologist at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, N.Y. Dr. Kleinberg says 40 years of research and more than $1 billion has been spent trying to figure out what saliva has that fights tooth decay. “I’m one of the pioneers in that as a whole new science,” Dr. Kleinberg said. “It’s where one mixes dentistry and biochemistry.” Dr. Kleinberg discovered how saliva’s chemistry helps teeth neutralize the acidity created from eating food by balancing the pH levels in the mouth. “[It’s] like if you’ve got a swimming pool,” Dr. Kleinberg said. “You have got to get the pH right. If you’ve...
by LID Admin | Aug 23, 2013 | Dental Decay Prevention, Interesting Reading, Uncategorized
Soda and Illegal Drugs Cause Similar Damage to Teeth: Acids Erode Enamel Addicted to soda? You may be shocked to learn that drinking large quantities of your favorite carbonated soda could be as damaging to your teeth as methamphetamine and crack cocaine use. The consumption of illegal drugs and abusive intake of soda can cause similar damage to your mouth through the process of tooth erosion, according to a case study published in the March/April 2013 issue of General Dentistry. Tooth erosion occurs when acid wears away tooth enamel, which is the glossy, protective outside layer of the tooth. Without the protection of enamel, teeth are more susceptible to developing cavities, as well as becoming sensitive, cracked, and discolored. The General Dentistry case study compared the damage in three individuals’ mouths — an admitted user of methamphetamine, a previous longtime user of cocaine, and an excessive diet soda drinker. Each participant admitted to having poor oral hygiene and not visiting a dentist on a regular basis. Researchers found the same type and severity of damage from tooth erosion in each participant’s mouth. “Each person experienced severe tooth erosion caused by the high acid levels present in their ‘drug’ of choice — meth, crack, or soda,” says Mohamed A. Bassiouny, DMD, MSc, PhD, lead author of the study. “The citric acid present in both regular and diet soda is known to have a high potential for causing tooth erosion,” says Dr. Bassiouny. Similar to citric acid, the ingredients used in preparing methamphetamine can include extremely corrosive materials, such as battery acid, lantern fuel, and drain cleaner. Crack cocaine is highly acidic in nature,...
by LID Admin | May 7, 2013 | Dental Decay Prevention, General Dental Care
To chew or not to chew, that is the question! Whether or not you chew gum is a highly personal choice. As a child I was never allowed to chew gum, not because of the excessive amount of sugar in it, but because according to my mum, it made you look less smart than a non-chewer! Luckily, when I finally sneaked a piece of sugar-laden gum I hated the flavour and kept forgetting to chew, so family harmony was maintained. How times have changed! Nobody gives a second thought now to whether or not you should chew gum. The big issues are that you dispose of it properly and what sort of gum it is. Recent research into sugar- free gum shows it may actually be beneficial. Professor Laurence Walsh, head of the Dental School at the University of Queensland says “there is now very good evidence that sugar-free gum has positive benefits on dental health above and beyond other measures such as using fluoride toothpaste and fluoridated water”. So, what are these benefits? Firstly, chewing gum increases the production of saliva, which helps protect your teeth by keeping them clean and by helping to strengthen enamel. Even when you aren’t chewing gum the increased saliva influences the type of bacteria that grows inside your mouth, according to Professor Walsh. He also believes that chewing sugar-free gum can help those at high risk of tooth decay because of their diet or lifestyle. So, it’s all good news! Chewing sugar-free gum actually helps your teeth. Just remember keep up the brushing and flossing to remove plaque from your teeth amd...
by LID Admin | Apr 21, 2013 | Dental Decay Prevention, General Dental Care, Interesting Reading, Uncategorized
This article below is quite extreme but it does show the devastation that soft drink can have on your teeth and your overall health! Source :http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/soft-drink-addict-william-kennewell-loses-all-his-teeth-at-the-age-of-25/story-e6frea83-1226570295887 WILLIAM Kennewell says he is living proof of the damage soft drinks can cause to your teeth and health. For three years, the 25-year-old drank between six and eight litres of soft drink each day – an addiction he struggled to kick. The Salisbury North resident ignored dentists’ warnings about the problems his dangerous habit was causing and has since had all his rotten teeth removed and replaced with dentures. “I’m told a normal person has about 23 teeth, but … I only had 13 left and they had to be removed,” he said. “It started because I wasn’t a huge water fan and working in the hotel industry, I had easy access to Coke. “Because my teeth were decaying so badly, it caused blood poisoning which just made me sick, but my health improved with the dentures.” Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health senior research fellow Dr Jason Armfield has called for health warnings on labels to include the risks of tooth decay. Dr Armfield is also the lead author of a study of 16,800 Australian children that found 56 per cent of those aged between five and 16 consumed at least one sweet drink, such as soft drink or juice, each day. Australian Beverages Council chief executive Geoff Parker said it was important to teach children early on about good dental hygiene: “However, singling out one particular part of the diet is a misguided approach to dealing with...