Why Natural Dental Care is Becoming a Vital Element to Your Overall Health
You know that dental care is imperative to a beautiful smile – and that a beautiful smile makes an excellent first impression. Well-cared-for teeth tend to indicate a well-cared-for body. But now it is becoming much more common knowledge that there are many more benefits to good oral hygiene than just avoiding the dentist’s drill.
According to Ellen Kamhi, Ph.D., R.N., author of The Natural Medicine Chest, and who is also the herbalist/nutritionist for naturesanswer.com, drew attention to the Surgeon General’s report that indicated that poor periodontal health affects 75 percent of Americans. She also pointed out that these facts seem to coincide with many major illnesses because the microorganisms that cause periodontal disease quite easily make their way into the heart muscle and other body tissues.
Saliva’s ability to provide markers for a variety of health problems may be the link between oral health and systematic disease.
People Seeking Non-Fluoride Toothpaste
Grace Lo, DDS and co-founder of My Dentist’s Choice, noted that many people have turned from drinking tap water that is treated with fluoride for bottled water. Fluoride when mixed with saliva helps prevent acid formation by bacteria and encourages re-mineralization of teeth. But because of the dangers of swallowing this fluoride, Dr. Lo’s Tooth Tissues uses xylitol, which is a non-fermentable sugar alcohol that helps reduce plaque and starve bacteria, in lieu of fluoride.
Dakshina Vanzetti is the president of Auromere Ayurveda Imports, a company that deals with conscious living products. Vanzetti indicates that there has been an increasing demand for non-fluorinated products as more people have become aware of the dangers of overexposure to fluoride, including fluorosis.
Dr. Ken’s line of oral care products features green tea and leaves out the fluoride. Ken Nussen, DDS and president of Floss & Go Inc also pointed out that at least half of the people prefer fluoride-free choices. This makes use of the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of the green tea, as well as the fact that green tea has been shown to improve oral health.
Probiotics in Dental Care
Jeffrey Hillman, DMD, Ph.D., attests that consumers’ awareness of the positive effects of good bacteria on health has carried over to dental care. Hillman says, “Probiotics for oral care is a brand new category and requires unique bacteria that are natural residents in healthy mouths."
Hillman informs, "ProBiora3 uses only the strains that are natural residents of the mouth to support the health of the oral cavity. Twenty-five years of data shown in studies prove that the specific organisms patented as ProBiora3 have exerted a beneficial activity in the mouth."
A product named OrFlora, manufactured by Swiss Labs Inc., also uses probiotics in its formula. Aside from the health benefits of this particular product, OrFlora suggests that the probiotics play a role in reducing bad breath by eliminating its cause: bad bacteria.
Decay-fighting and disease-battling effectiveness of toothpastes, rinses, flosses, and other dental products is being enhanced by vitamins, botanicals, minerals, and cofactors. These natural products stay away from some of those harsh chemicals that many consumers are now looking to avoid. As consumer education has increased the awareness of both positive and negative effects of various ingredients in dental care products, gravitation toward the natural products can be seen.
