Tied Up
Jake had the longest tongue I’d ever seen. Out of the blue, his tongue could find a face in a moment’s notice. His tongue had full range of motion, which is what every tongue should have. Often times, tongues are not properly evaluated early enough, and can therefore, cause life long problems.
Jake had the longest tongue I’d ever seen. Out of the blue, his tongue could find a face in a moment’s notice. His tongue had full range of motion, which is what every tongue should have. Often times, tongues are not properly evaluated early enough, and can therefore, cause life long problems.
A real issue many parents don’t consider is the infant’s tongue or the attachment in which the tongue is fastened to the floor of the mouth. The movement of the tongue is important for not only latching to nurse, but in the development of the oral cavity and growth of the face. In the hospital, infants are evaluated from head to toe. One of those evaluations is that of the tongue. If an infant is found to have a restriction, the parents are informed and given the option to release the tongue. Even though my own children did not have a tongue restriction, many of my patients inform me that their children do have a restriction. What I’ve learned from discussions with those parents is all the information is not conveyed about the life long effects of not releasing the tongue.
The tongue is responsible for not only language and eating but also plays an important part in face development. How? In the rest position, the tongue naturally moves to the roof of the mouth. With the tongue sitting on the roof of the mouth, the stem cells of the palate are signaled causing the expansion of the palate. Those signals is what broadens the oral cavity. This broaden palate then allows for ample space for developing permanent teeth to erupt into the mouth. It also allows the tongue to have room for space and a seal for swallowing. That space and the tongue at the roof of the mouth also encourages sealed lips and the less likely event of a sleep disorder or APNEA in the future.
When the tongue has a tie or restriction, the negative effects are as follows:
The inability to nurse appropriately
The inability to remove food debris from the vestibules of the cheeks
Compromised speech
Increased risk of oral disease such as cavities or periodontal disease
Misaligned teeth
Mouth breathing
Sleeping disorders
Open bite
During a routine dental visit, I had a patient who presented with the exciting news that he was now a daddy. With photos to share, he was beaming with joy and excitement. After a few moments, I inquired as to how his household had changed and how much sleep he and his wife were getting each night. My patient admitted that here had not been much sleep for he or his wife. He went on to report that his daughter was diagnosed with a tongue tie. My response was a bit opinionated, but it just came out. I said to him, “You plan to get that released, right?” He told me that his wife wanted it released, but he did not. I asked why. He said he didn’t want her to go through the pain, and he didn’t see the reason for it. I explained to him that the release would allow his daughter to eat better (he said she was not eating well and wanted to eat often.) If she were able to eat better, she would sleep better. I also explained how the face shape and breathing is also associated with the tongue and ties. Before he left the dental office, he had called his wife to set in motion the release of his daughter’s tongue.
A month later, I saw this patient back in the dental office for a restorative need. I checked in with him to see how things were going. He reported the release went well and was surprised how easy the procedure went. He also reported a tremendous difference for everyone in the family. His daughter was eating better, sleeping better, and as a result there was less stress in the house because everyone was sleeping more.
A tongue tie is evaluated in several ways, and there are various stages in which the tongue can attach. Some attachments are severe with the tie at the very tip of the tongue, while others are less noticeable. To evaluate yourself, open your mouth wide. Then place your tongue to the roof of the mouth. If you need to close mostly to get your tongue to the palate, then the tongue may have a close tie. Everyone should be able to stick out the tongue….even if it’s impolite. It is unfortunate the medical community doesn’t fully understand the consequences of a tongue tie. While many people can overcome the disability in speech, they will have less ability to overcome the sleeping problems that will come.
Here is a case study done by a myofuctional therapist that demonstrates improved quality of life after a release of the frenulum. If you think your child has a tongue tie, consult with your dentist for an evaluation. The course of action is typically to see a myofuctional therapist and an oral surgeon.
Health Bite: Tongue movement is essential for health.
All Water is NOT Created Equal
Sometime BC (before children), my husband and I drove across the mountain to a larger city. I needed to stop, so he pulled into a convenience store. When I got back into the car, I said to Joe, “You’re not going to believe what I just saw! There was bottled water FOR SALE! Can you believe someone would buy water when it’s FREE?” That seems decades ago…well it was decades ago; my how things have changed.
The United States has some of the safest water in the world. Treatment centers test the water prior to allowing it into the public for consumption, yet the population at large purchases bottled water. Other countries in the world are certainly not as fortunate to experience clean water, but we can actually drink ours from our kitchen or bathroom sink.
According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, in 2014, the U.S. bottled water market neared 11 million gallons and Americans consumed 34 gallons of water per person. By the end of the decade, bottle water is expected to be the largest beverage category by volume in the United States. Water is free from calories, artificial ingredients, and our body needs this important substance for health. Are you wondering why I’m discussing water yet? What most people don’t realize is all water is not equal.
Dasani and Aquafina are manufactured by Coke and Pepsi, respectfully. Both have a pH under the optimal standards of 6.5 – 8.5. We want to be as close to a pH of 7.0 as possible. When the pH falls below 6.5, there is an acidic attack going on in our mouth. This attack disrupts enamel and root surfaces raising the incidence for cavities and gingivitis. Soft drinks have a pH range from 2.38 to 4.75.
Below is a table that lists the pH of some of more popular waters sold:
BRAND pH
Vitamin water 3.4
Propel Zero 3.5
Aquafina 4.0
Dasani 4.5
Perrier 5.5
Poland Spring 5.8
Crystal Geyser 6.0
Deer Park 6.3
Smart Water 6.5
Great Value Walmart 6.5
Arrowhead 6.8
Evian 7.0
Fiji 7.5
As we get older, our mouth becomes drier. The tendency is to drink water to “wet our whistle.” Medications can make the mouth very dry as does smoking. When the mouth is dry, bacteria stick to the teeth. Many people will drink water to help the dryness, but what choice we make can be a difference in our health. To fight off disease, our bodies need to remain more alkaline. The typical American diet sets us up for an acidic body, and then we drink some acidic bottled water. The body is then ripe for disease to take place. If bottle water is what you do, then here a few tips to bring it back to basic. Place a half teaspoon of baking soda in the water or squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the bottle. Both will raise the pH to be more basic and healthy place. The best choice, in my opinion, it to purchase a good-quality, stainless steel or glass water bottle and fill it from either the sink or filtered refrigerated water. Water used to be free, but we have turned the corner here in American, making water one of the best selling beverages. No wonder Coke and Pepsi wanted in on this market.
Heath bite: Not all bottled water is equal.
Find the Connection
No doubt you have likely heard the phrase "oral systemic link" shot around in literature and on news shows, but what does it mean? The medical and dental community for years had separate thoughts about what the other practiced, and so was divided in assisting people in their health quests. Not so any longer.
What research has been suggesting over the past decade is that the health of the mouth tells us much about the health of the whole body. No longer should we treat each separately. Finding ways to bring health to one, can bring health to the other. Gingival inflammation (gingivitis) is often the first onset of diabetes. It is marked by bleeding and swelling gums, although it slips through the radar of the general population because most people don't clean in between their teeth. You see, this is where the disease starts. The tissue is more fragile and susceptible to disease in between the teeth. It's likely to have more bacteria stuck there because it can hide and not get dislodged with daily activity (eating, drinking, and talking.). The oral cavity can show disease within a few months, but it takes decades for it to show up in our bodies. Take notice to how your gums look. Ask your dental professional how your oral health is at your check ups. Talk to your hygienist, ask questions, and take their advice.
Even though diabetes is a serious disease, heart disease is another issue that has been linked to the oral cavity. Autopsies have shown bacteria that is normally found in the mouth in the heart, causing infections. Endocarditis is a serious and fatal infection. Inflammation in the gums happens because too many bacteria have made a home round the teeth. This initiates an immune response in which blood vessels open to allow white blood cells to start killing the bacteria. Just as easily as the white blood cells can work through to fight the bacteria, the bacteria also have access to enter the blood stream and flow to the heart. Thus, if the bacteria is able to stick around a little while, an infection can occur around the heart.
Pregnancy can be a factor in inflammation and gingivitis. Countless studies have linked oral infections, like severe gingivitis and active periodontal disease, for premature births. An autopsy performed on an infant that was still born revealed oral bacteria in the amnionic fluid causing infection and ultimately death. The mother had untreated periodontal disease.
Taking care of the gums and teeth is more than just brushing, which the only means in which most folks do. Diet places a part as well. Sugar is an inflammatory factor and the main source of food for bacteria. When you consume simple sugars, the bacteria begin to feast and then excrete acids that breakdown tooth enamel and cause the gums to become red. A high carbohydrate diet will leave behind more plaque that hardens into tartar, which is contributing factor to oral disease.
Using something to clean in between the teeth is actually more important than brushing. Why? Remember what I said about the tissue being more fragile in between? Bacteria want to make a home. A place to raise a family and build a community. You give them that opportunity when you don't clean in between the teeth. It's stuck there. It's not going anywhere. It's safe from chewing forces and getting swished around. As a matter of fact, it just has to sit and wait for food to come toward it in the saliva. It grabs what it wants to eat and lives on.
Do you get the picture? This is the oral-systemic link. Seek professional oral hygiene care regularly, and practice good oral hygiene at home. What you do at home makes the biggest impact!
Health-bite: practice excellent oral hygiene care for a healthy body
Chronic Inflammation and Sugar
People are living longer, largely due to better medical care and early diagnosis. Yet, in spite of information to live healthy, pharmaceutical companies continue to grow and thrive. Why, with so many people taking statin drugs (cholesterol), is heart disease still the number one killer? Recently, I had a patient who informed me he is pre-diabetic. I inquired by asking him if he was doing anything differently with this new health concern. He confided that he is now monitoring what he is eating so he doesn’t have to take more pills. Apparently, his wife does not feel the same way. Her recommendation was to take the medications and eat he wants. Two very different ways in dealing with a health issue. What would you do? Our culture has moved far away from healthy living, and now many are paying the price for it. Prepared, processed foods loaded with sugars and harmful fats have expanded our waistlines and caused our health to decline. It’s so easy to unknowingly purchase foods that have added sugars. As a matter of fact, I recently purchased some chips that were certified organic, gluten free, etc. However, I neglected to read the ingredients prior to the purchase. Once at home, I was made aware that cane sugar was an added ingredient. Our tongues are so used to sweets; nothing else tastes quite as good.
The more I research sugars, the more I’m convinced it’s the leading cause of chronic health related concerns. When sugars are consumed, the pH in the mouth drops making an acidic environment conducive to cavities and dental disease. Studies have shown that consuming sugars and inflammation go hand-in-hand. As a matter of fact, chronic gingivitis (bleeding gums) could mean a future diagnosis of Type II diabetes. Medical literature continues to publish the connection between the oral-systemic link, making it crucial we monitor what we eat.
So why don’t we just give up sugar? Because it tastes so good. When I ask people why they chose to drink soda instead of water, the answer is always the same. Soda tastes good and water doesn’t. We have trained our brains to love and crave sugar, and as a result, we need more and more to feel satisfied. Our blood sugar rises rapidly then drops down making us feel lethargic. But, that’s okay…..just have more sugar! What a vicious cycle.
Challenge yourself this week to give up sugars; at least the added sugars in foods and drinks. See how you feel by day seven. Will you have more energy? Will you loose weight? Will you feel better?
Health-bite: you are what you eat
Wisdom Teeth--Should they stay or Should they go?
Most humans develop 32 permanent teeth. There are occasions in which permanent teeth do not develop, usually due to heredity factors. Some people don't develop any wisdom teeth while most have anywhere from one to four. There are other instances, in fact, when tooth buds don't appear to replace the primary teeth. In which case, primary teeth remain for a longer period of time. On the other hand, I have known some people who have developed more than four wisdom teeth! So why do dentist recommend they be removed? After all, God placed them there. There are some ethic groups whose jaw line is large enough to withstand that extra row of teeth, but not necessarily keep them clean enough to be disease free. Those of us who have a European background don't have jaw lines that provide that extra room for our wisdom teeth. As a result, they become impacted or partially erupted. In which case, they can become painful. Dental professionals have the unique opportunity to see outcomes of poor decisions over a life span. Looking into the mouth of a young adult, the dental professional can in vision, in some ways, the future outcomes of the teeth. On the other hand, looking into the mouth of the older adult gives much information.
"They aren't bothering me" is the usual response from a patient as to why the wisdom teeth are still present. The fact is they don't hurt YET! The photo on the left is a radiograph of an impacted wisdom tooth that has "grown" into the second molar. Because of the inability to clean around it well, bacteria has invaded the second molar. As a result, the second molar may be lost in a lifetime due to extensive decay caused by the wisdom tooth. Please note that the wisdom tooth still needs to be extracted PLUS a root canal, post, and crown will likely be placed on the second molar in an effort to save the tooth. "An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure" certainly applies to this case.
Other things to consider as the dental patient ages, medications need to be evaluated if an extraction is necessary as well as an expected longer healing time. Dental professionals give recommendations based on overall oral health. Are you seriously going to floss those wisdom teeth? It's difficult to have flossing compliance for the teeth the patient can reach. That's why wisdom teeth are often a reservoir of bacteria that infect the rest of the mouth. Removing the wisdom teeth is beneficial in helping to prevent decay and periodontal disease. If you have any questions regarding your overall dental health, contact your dentist.
Health-bite: Removal of wisdom teeth can prevent future oral disease.
Blood Thinners and Toothbrushing
Communication. Most gets lost somewhere between the one speaking and the other hearing. Statiscially, only 10% is understood, so I guess we must make up the other 90% in our heads as to what the speaker is telling us. It happens everyday. I guess because the hearer thinks what the speaker is saying and doesn't ask clarifying questions. In our dental office, clarifying questions are encouraged so that both the speaker and the listener have a better understanding of the communication taking place.
Recently, during the course of reviewing his health history, a patient informed me he had been put on a blood thinner due to a heart issue. During the dental hygiene exam, I noticed heavy amounts of plaque all along his gum line and (once the plaque was scraped away) several areas of white, chalky enamel. I proceeded to ask him how his daily plaque control was going. He informed me it was going very well. His doctor had told him to use a very soft toothbrush, and don't brush the gums because it might make them bleed.....oh boy.....
Whelp, I'm sure his gums didn't bleed, because he didn't even get close with the toothbrush. Now he has gingivitis AND three cavities at the gum line. I'm thinking something got lost in communication!
Probably the MD said something like, "With this blood thinner, you may experience more bleeding. When you brush your teeth make sure you have a soft bristle toothbrush and brush gently." What the patient heard was, "Don't brush your gums, because they will bleed." To go one step further to clarify, the doctor may or may not have (or should have) said, "Now it is important to brush throughly, because if you don't clean the bacterial off, especially at the gum line, MORE bleeding will occur because the body has to fight off the bacteria that is left there." If the patient can say back to the speaker in their own words what was said, then both parties will have a better understanding of its meaning.
Now this patient has generalized gingivitis and cavities, and he has to be reappointed to have restorations in the teeth with cavities. Hopefully, words were communicated in a way that he is better educated with his condition so that problems like this can be avoided in the future. While it is up to the speaker to communicate the message to the listener, the listener also has to ask questions to clarify communications.
Health-bites: brush plaque away from gums to avoid disease AND ask clarifying questions
The Amazing Xylitol
As a part of my license retention, continuing education hours are needed each year. In recent months, I attended a class which spoke, in part, about xylitol. In a previous post, I mentioned xylitol, yet from another speaker at a continuing education class. There seems to be a common theme about this xylitol business. So what's the big deal?
Xylitol was first discovered in Finland. During WWII, Finland chose not to participate in the war and closed it's boarders. Because of this, Finland was cut off by the outside world. Since the country had to use its own resources, they extracted sugar from birch trees. When the war was over, dentists soon realized the children in Finland had very little tooth decay.
The sugars extracted in the birch trees was named xylitol. Xylitol is in all fruits and vegetables. As a matter of fact, our own bodies produce about a tablespoon a day. It is to plants what glucose is to humans. Today, it's found in sugar-free gums, candy, and toothpastes. This product is different from the other sugars in that bacteria (all Strep and Yeast) cannot digest it, so there is a reduction in plaque and biofilm in the mouth with using it frequently. Sucrose is a 6-carbon chain that is taken in by the bacteria, metabolized, and used for energy. Xylitol is a 5-carbon chain, so bacteria pumps it in thinking its time to eat, but soon realize they’ve made a mistake. The bacteria uses up all its energy trying to pump it out.
Marketed a sugar substitute, it is not calorie free. It has a glycemic value of 7 and has 40% less calories than sugar. This is good news for diabetics and those watching their calorie intake. Xylitol has been used in many areas from fighting tooth decay to sinus infections. Exposure times are key though. In order to get the maximum benefit from xylitol, multiple exposures throughout the day must be made. The bacteria is hungry, and feeding it on a regular basis will decrease overall oral plaque by 70%.
You will want to use products that are 100% sweetened with xylitol. They can be found in your local health food store or on-line. Other products containing xylitol can be purchased in retail stores, but there is not enough of the substance to really make a difference. If going to the health food store to purchase 100% xylitol gum is out, then purchase Ice Breakers gum. It has the most xylitol than any of the other gums.
So here's the instructions on caries prevention in children:
• In the morning before school, chew 2 pieces of gum after brushing teeth. • Place one packet of Xylosweet (4 grams) in a water bottle at room temperature and pack for lunch. • Give the child either 2 mints or 5-6 Sparx candies to have after lunch. • Give the child 2 pieces of gum to chew when they get home from school. • Give the child 5-6 pieces of Sparx candies or 2 mints after tooth brushing at bedtime.
I personally have tried all the flavors and find them to be satisfactory. I have a jar of the gum on my kitchen counter and my family (throughout the day) will periodically reach in a grab a couple of pieces. This is NOT recreational gum. The flavor only lasts about 10 minutes. This gum is used to help keep the oral flora healthy and prevent tooth decay by eliminating as many Strep-bacteria as possible.
NOTE: XYILTOL IS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS TO DOGS! PLEASE KEEP OUT OF REACH OF YOUR PETS!
Look for future posts for specifics on how to use xylitol for sinus problems, dry mouth, and other uses.
Health-bite: 3-5 exposures of xylitol to prevent tooth decay
Tongue Damage
“So also the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do.” James 3:5
How profound is the statement above. There are many passages in the Bible referencing the tongue. Some that speak of praise, but many others referencing hurt and lies. It's such a small thing, but can leave such huge scars. We praise with it, speak sweet, loving words with it. Yet, also use it to curse and destroy.
Its use is necessary for eating and speaking. The tongue is necessary in our health too. It moves foods around to aid chewing. Moving foods down to our stomach for digestion, the tongue is a necessary muscle, yet we seldom think of the tongue day to day.
When brushing the teeth, brushing the tongue is also essential. Eighty percent of bacteria live on top of the tongue. Even doing a stellar job brushing and flossing will not eliminate the majority of bacteria unless the tongue is cleaned too. I personally like tongue scrapers. It can feel strange at first, even gaggy; but with time, the tongue will get used to it. Even being able to place it back further that before.
Cleaning the tongue will freshen breath and improve overall oral health. So now that we have the tongue clean and fresh, how will you manage your tongue today? Will you help others with kind words? Lift someone up that is feeling down? Praise your neighbor for a job well done? Say, "Hello" to a stranger?
The tongue is both a weapon. Yielding in anger and hurt destroying relationships and leaving scars that can be felt for a lifetime. The tongue is also a comfort. Building up others with sweet, soft words of praise. Practice love, practice patience, practice restraint, practice contentment.....practice happiness. It's a choice. You are who you choose to be.
Health-bite: keep the tongue clean in all ways
Why Xylitol For Tooth Decay?
Oh no, not another artificial sweetener! Don't we have enough already? Sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, what's next?
While most other artificial sweeteners have zero calories, xylitol has 2.4 calories per gram. That's 40% less calories than other carbohydrates. Discovered in 1891, the benefits of xylitol remained quiet for decades. In 1960, it was approved for use with diabetics, and in 1970 for cavity prevention.
This isn't like all the other sugar substitutes. Xylitol is found in tree bark, plants, fruits and vegetables. Our own body makes 5-10 grams of xylitol every day. Today, manufacturers produce xylitol from corn cobs and corn stalks (the products themselves don't contain corn). The down side of ingesting too much at once, is gastric upset. Since it is digested as a fiber, it pulls water from the tissues and can cause diarrhea. But, if ingested over a period of time, xylitol will not cause this side effect.
With a glycemic level of 7, xylitol does not raise insulin levels, making it safe for diabetics. So how does this sugar work? Well its a 5-carbon sugar instead of a 6 (like sorbitol, mannitol, and maltitol.) Because it's a 5-carbon sugar, it passes through the bacterial membrane and can not be metabolized. While the bacteria uses up its energy trying to pump out the molecule, it uses up all its energy. The bacteria is unable to stick to one another, because it's used up the acid and is unable to make more. The bacterial communication becomes disrupted and the biofilm structure breaks apart. The bacteria then slide down the digestive and nasal tracks and exits the body! Cool, right?
The reason I'm so excited about xylitol is the effects with the teeth. It actually helps to fight tooth decay. A 1989 study by the University of Michigan took 1,277 students and divided them into four groups. Over a 40-month period, students were given 100% xylitol gum several times a day. Over the period of 40 months, students were monitored for tooth decay. The study revealed a dramatic decrease in decay. Five years later, a follow-up study by the University of Washington showed a 70% reduction in tooth decay, even though the students were no longer using the xylitol. Thus, the conclusion is xylitol changes the oral micro-flora.
For those who do not have a problem with tooth decay, the oral micro-flora is healthy. But, for those who have the bacteria that is causing cavities, xylitol may be able to eliminate those bad guys! Because bacteria works hard to grow every minute of the day, frequency is the key. Using gum and/or mints, getting five exposures throughout the day works best. While good is three exposures a day, it's best to strive for five. The gum is not a recreation gum, meaning, chewing only for five minutes will give the exposure needed. Once the flavor is gone, all the xylitol has been released.
So to break it down:
- after breakfast--chew gum or mint
- mid-morning--have a mint or gum
- after lunch--chew gum or mint
- mid-afternoon--have a mint or gum
- after supper--have a mint or gum
Some gum manufacturers market gum as having xylitol, but it's so far down on the list of ingredients, it has little benefit. Look for gum or mints that contain 100% xylitol. I find mine at our local health food store. Spry is the leading manufacturer of xylitol. I have included the link to their website. European countries have been recommending xylitol for years to prevent tooth decay, but we are still recommending fluoride. Fluoride is found in water, toothpastes, and mouth rinses, yet I continue to see tooth decay. Isn't it time to try something new? It reminds me of what I heard about the definition of insanity: "Doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different outcome."
health-bite: xylitol for tooth decay
Sugary Sweet
Sugar substitutes have been around for decades. Today, there are more than ever to choose from. Popular zero-calorie sweeteners include: saccharin (sold as Sweet N Low), aspartame, acesulfame K, sucralose (Spenda), and stevia. Even though there are no calories, the tastes are thousands of times sweeter than table sugar. For years, non-calorie sweeteners have been marketed as a healthy alternative because they have less calories, but the numbers are showing a relationship between the percent of people using artificial sweeteners, the amount of products containing those sweeteners, and the obese population.
How does this work? Well, we are so incredibly made! When the tongue tastes sweet, a signal is sent to the brain. The brain sends a message to the pancreas that sugar is on the way. The pancreas then releases insulin (which plays an important role in body fat accumulation.) While all this is happening, signals are sent to the brains satiety center. The center becomes confused as to whether or not the body is receiving calories. What happens next is really cool.....
The result of all this confusion going on in our body is increased hunger, satiety decreases, insulin spikes and the brain tells the person to eat more, which, of course, leads to weight gain.
Crazy, right?!?
Here's the breakdown on the stuff:
Saccharin--man made sweetener is 200-700 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar); scientific studies in the 1970's raised concerns that saccharin could be carcinogenic.
Aspartame--used in sodas, gum, cereals, supplements, jams, sweets, vitamins, prescription drugs, and over the counter medications like Alka Seltzer Plus; aspartame contains methanol that breaks down to form formaldehyde and formic acid, which is carcinogenic and mutagenic. The EPA defines safe consumption of methanol as 7.8 mg per day, which is about a 1/2 can of diet soda.
Acesulfame K--was approved in 1988 as an artificial sweetener, yet most people are unaware of its presence in their food and beverages. Exposure for a long period of time can lead to headaches, liver complications, mental confusion, cancerous developments, visual impairments and renal diseases.
Sucralose--the active ingredient in Spenda is 600 times sweeter than sucrose. Marketing sells it as made from sugar so it tastes like sugar. It starts out that way anyway, but during the chemical process, the alteration composition is converted into something entirely different. Our body can not digest it, making it a zero-calorie food. Heres the real story: Researchers have found that the unmetabolized sucralose passes right through the body and into sewage treatment centers, out into the ground waters looking the same as it did in that cup of coffee.
Stevia--an extract that is a natural sweetener and is 300 times sweeter than sugar. It was approved in 2008 as a sugar substitute and considered safe by the FDA.
Here is the bottom line:
- Natural is better than chemical.
- Sweets derived from fruits and nature are better than processed sugar or artificially sweetened foods.
- Read what is in the food...if it is not recognizable, then choose something else.
Health-bite: stick with natural sugars
The Link
More and more medical research studies are showing an increased link between oral health and overall health. It makes sense to me, but again, this is my play ground. Bacteria, plaque, material alba, calculas, blood, and spit make for a fun day at the dental office!
We all have bacteria in our mouth, it's when we allow too many to live there that problems occur. There are basically two categories for oral bacteria. One group causes periodontal diesase and the other causes cavities. What most people don't realize is this bacteria is contagious. Babies are not born with oral bacteria flora. When testing the baby's oral bacteria, it was the same as the caregiver, which is usually mom. Amazing! That's why it's so important to keep up with routine checkups and cleanings. As a dental hygienist, our occupation is one of the only ones in prevention. I take my job seriously in helping people to be cavity free. The first set of teeth are free, if not cared for properly, teeth can become very costly.
While it's true no one really needs teeth, they are beneficial when it comes for eating and speaking. Each tooth is important in providing help to the others for chewing. Digestion begins in the mouth first when saliva enters to help moisten and breakdown foods for the stomach. Without adequate teeth to chew, food will go down in larger pieces and digestion will take longer.
Those with diabetes are particularly at risk for periodontal diesase and eventual tooth loss. There is a two way path between oral inflammation and uncontrolled diabetes. The American Diabetes Association has more information on this subject. I always ask for the diabetic patient's A1C level (an inflammatory marker) at each appointment. It helps me gauge information during my dental assessment.
Hopefully, you will find information that is both meaningful and helpful in the posts. In daily practice, there isn't enough time to reveal all the information, however, on this platform more information can be spread to a wider audience. I love my job and teaching patients who want to learn, live better lives.
Health-bite: reduce bacteria in the mouth
Do I Have To Floss?
I happen to have an occupation where truth is often evaded. I'm a detective. My job is deciphering whether or not a person is a liar. I'm a detective of the mouth. I'm a dental hygienist! The dreaded question is asked....do you floss? The most common answer I hear is: "Not as much as I should." What does that mean? Once a week, twice a month, major holidays? Then, there are those who say: "I floss every day..sometimes even twice a day." Claps for you! However, looking at the inflammation and bleeding gums might say otherwise.
Healthy gums don't bleed, period!
Bleeding occurs when too much bacteria has caused an immune response. Removing the bacteria in a timely manner will yield healthy gums. Does this mean you need to floss? I'll get to that in a moment. People are more inclined to brush. There's immediate pleasure: fresh breath, slippery teeth, it feels good (or at least it should). So why don't people want to floss? Well, because unless it's done routinely, it hurts, gums bleed, stuff is flying out everywhere, drooling all over your face and hands. The feel good sensation doesn't happen. Truth is......wait for it.......it's more important to clean in between the teeth than brush. WHAT?? How can this be? Using a fingernail or eating crunchy foods can knock off plaque and bacteria. What knocks off bacteria in between? Something mechanical.
We, meaning students in dental schools, are taught that flossing is the gold standard, but if it's not being used, it's not too golden! There are so many choices to clean in between the teeth. I personally use a Waterpik. There is a learning curve that takes place, but it's well worth the effort. Studies show it removes toxins produced by bacteria and allows the gums to remain healthy.
Soft piks by Gum is another great alternative to flossing. I recommend these all the time to my patients who tell me straight up they are not going to floss. I have seen good improvements in oral health when people use something to clean between their teeth.
So, back to the question. Do I have to floss? The answer is NO, you don't have to floss your teeth. However, if avoiding cavities or periodontal disease happens to be your goal...well, then get to removing that stuff from in between the teeth! Besides, all that rotting stuff in between your teeth STINKS!
Health-bite: clean in between the teeth for fresh breath