Take Care of Your Smile Naturally: Good Oral Health

"We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do."

~Mother Teresa

Oral Care is often overlooked, but it couldn't be more important to your health.  Most disease enters through the mouth and nasal passages. Keeping these areas free of bacteria and other pathogens can go a long way toward keeping you healthy.  The Chinese even believe that the health of the body is mapped out on the tongue and use the condition of the tongue to identify trouble spots in the body.  Keeping the mouth clean and healthy can improve not just dental but overall health.

A healthy tooth is a living structure nourished by blood vessels and supplied by nerves.  The root is covered by a shock-absorbing periodontal tissue, and the base of the crown of the tooth is held in place by gums that are pale pink and do not bleed easily.  The enamel that covers the crown of the tooth is one of the hardest substances in the body, and has a dentine layer beneath it.  The dentine is somewhat softer and contains nerves and blood vessels that allow the tooth to detect sensations like cold and heat and also nourish the tooth.  

Regular Oral Care

Most of us understand that good dental hygiene consists of brushing and flossing the teeth on a regular basis and regular cleanings by a trained professional.  Tongue cleaning, with a specific tongue-cleaning device, is a lesser known but important way of cleaning bacteria from the mouth. Just as important are the foods we eat.  Chewy, fibrous, non-sugary and non-acidic foods keep teeth healthy.  The bacteria that typically reside in the mouth feed on sugar and produce an acid by-product that erodes tooth enamel.  Foods that contain citric acid can also be harmful to enamel if eaten in large amounts.  This is one reason why it is not wise to take a chewable Vitamin C on a regular basis.  Good dental habits can overcome the lack of a good diet, but only for a period of time.  Eventually the piper must be paid!  Many of the everyday oral care products we use are filled with sugar, chemical whiteners, and undesirable preservatives. Paying attention to the foods we eat, the gum we chew, the mints we use to freshen our breath, and the toothpaste we use can all improve dental health. 

Xylitol--A Secret Weapon for Dental Health?

Caries is a bacteria in the mouth that acts on the sugar we eat and produces an acid that erodes tooth enamel, exposing the tooth to damage and decay.  Caries is the most common reason for tooth decay. While we are not born with Caries bacteria in the mouth, most of us have acquired it by casual contact by the age of 18 months. Caries bacteria cannot feed on xylitol and thus is unable to thrive in the mouth. Studies have also shown that in the presence of xylitol, bacteria in the mouth and upper respiratory system lose their ability to adhere to the tissues, allowing the natural cleansing process to wash bacteria away. Xylitol is an alcohol sugar with 5 carbons that is used as a sweetener in everything from baked goods to gum and mints.  It can be derived from either corn or birch bark.  The corn derivative is from the corn stalk and thus free of the part of the plant that can produce allergy symptoms, according to the companies that make it from this source. Xylitol is naturally found in the body.

The quality of dental health of a mother can also have a profound impact on the dental health of her child.  Xylitol has been shown in studies to be more effective than flouride in protecting the teeth against caries and hence decay.  If a mother chews gum or uses mints that have xylitol 2-3 times a day during pregnancy, her child will have 70% less tooth decay than a mother that did not use xylitol.  The key is that the xylitol be the #1 ingredient in the product, assuring that there is enough of it to have an impact.  The brand Spry is one brand that can make this claim.  We carry it here at Walsh and it is available in gum, mints, and toothpaste. The Spry baby tooth gel is a great way to protect infants and very young children as tooth brushing can be a challenge with them. The gum and mints are recommended in addition to the toothpaste because they stay in the mouth longer and thus provide more benefit. The mouthwash is also a great option, so long as you keep it in the mouth for several minutes.

Xylitol is also available in a nasal wash by Xlear as well as nasal drops, which are used to keep the nose free of bacteria. By using this wash we can improve the overall health of the mouth and nasal passages, eliminating the primary way for disease to enter the body. It has also been shown that the use of Xylitol has reduced ear infections in children, probably due to the common passages shared by the ear and the back of the throat.

Since Xylitol tastes very much like sugar it can be used as a sugar substitute in baking, cooking, or even your coffee or tea. Using Xylitol is a great way to reduce your glycemic load (it has a GI rating of only 7 versus 68 for sucrose) and hence improve blood sugar and reduce the inflammatory effects of sugar on the body. It has about 40% fewer calories than sugar and can be used 1:1 in baking. Larger amounts of xylitol can cause gas and bloating in certain individuals, so you may want to use half xylitol and half raw sugar. Read More