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Monthly Archives: March 2021

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Is Baking Soda safe to brush with?

Is Baking Soda safe to brush with?

Category : Gentalcare

Written by- https://orawellness.com/

Is baking soda safe to brush with? 

“Will I damage my teeth if I brush with baking soda?”

Some experts claim that regularly brushing with baking soda can cause wear on tooth enamel and gum tissue.

Is baking soda really to blame?

Our teeth like to be polished and our gums like to be massaged.

If we remember just this one thing while brushing, we’ll be much more inclined to treat our teeth more carefully:

Our teeth are living gems.

Yep, our tooth structure is like a crystal. But, unlike rubies and diamonds, these ‘tooth crystals’ are alive

The bottom line is that most of us brush our teeth unconsciously. We call it ‘zombie brushing’.

Let’s face it, if we brush our teeth like we’re scrubbing a grout line in our bathroom, then yes, using baking soda to brush our teeth could potentially cause some real problems.

One way to tell whether you brush unconsciously is to note how you hold your toothbrush.

If you hold your toothbrush with a closed fist, you’re most likely scrubbing a grout line.

So, before we dive any further into the details of whether or not it’s safe to regularly brush with baking soda, let’s firmly state that how we brush our teeth is more important than what we brush with.

Let’s explore the risks and benefits of using baking soda to brush our teeth.

Here are the potential downsides to using baking soda as a tooth powder.

Risk 1: Abrasivity

Is baking soda too abrasive?

To answer this, let’s compare baking soda to some abrasives that are commonly included in oral hygiene products.

In the world of oral hygiene products, there’s a scale called ‘Relative Dentin Abrasivity’ (or RDA). It ranks product abrasive from zero (not abrasive) to over 200 (super abrasive).

Baking soda is only a 7 on the RDA scale. So, at first glance, it seems that when used consciously, baking soda isn’t too abrasive.

Pay attention if you have receding gums

As you know, the enamel is the outer portion of each tooth. Under the enamel is the dentin, then the tooth pulp.

However, if we have receding gums, it’s very possible that the portion of the tooth around our gum line may no longer be enamel. As the gum recession progresses, the softer tooth tissue called ‘cementum’ may become exposed around the gum line.

This explains why it’s more common for adults to get cavities along the gum line than on the chewing surfaces of their teeth. The receding gums expose the cementum, which is softer than the enamel that covers the crown of the tooth (therefore, it’s more prone to decay as well as structural damage from brushing too hard and using products that are too abrasive).

However, overall, when used consciously, baking soda is ok to use in a toothpaste or powder.

Risk 2: What about the aluminum in baking soda?

This is a common cultural myth. Baking soda does not contain aluminum.

Some product manufacturers have caused confusion by listing ‘aluminum-free baking soda’ on their ingredient list, but baking soda doesn’t have any aluminum in it.

Risk 3: Daily use of baking soda by itself may be too far…

There are experts in the field who suggest that brushing with baking soda alone is too ‘rough’ and compromises the healthy biofilm that our teeth need in order to be healthy.

Now that we’ve unpacked some of the risks of brushing with baking soda, let’s explore some of the benefits.

Benefit 1: Supports a healthier oral pH

Our mouth pH plays a big role in determining which populations of bacteria flourish there. It’s generally recognized that the lower (more acidic) the pH in the mouth, the greater the risk of tooth decay. (Enamel demineralization occurs at pH 5.5 and lower.)

You see, the bacteria that flourish at a pH of 5.5 will find a pH of 6.5 or 7.0 downright inhospitable. To successfully manage our oral microbiome, our job is to help maintain a mouth pH that supports the probiotic bacteria populations that help us to live healthy, vital lives.

Baking soda’s pH of 8.3 helps support a more alkaline oral pH. It gently nudges the environment in our mouths to a healthier place.

For more information on pH’s role in our oral health, check out our article, “Tracking your saliva pH“. This article contains a free OraWellness saliva tracking log that you can download to help you along your path.

Benefit 2: Baking soda lowers thug bug count  

Plenty of research shows that baking soda can really help lower the populations of thug bugs in the mouth, so it’s an effective support tool to reduce periodontal pathogens.

This makes sense if you stop and think about it.

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, so it’s a salt. All salts are naturally antimicrobial.

Do the benefits outweigh the risks?

Given the above information, we believe that baking soda can offer support in helping us navigate to optimal oral health provided that we brush consciously and avoid ‘zombie brushing’ our teeth.

Baking soda definitely provides plenty of ‘grit’ to help remove plaque. However, to avoid causing more harm than good, we must be vigilant and mindful while brushing with baking soda.

You see, most of the grit from baking soda (and toothpaste, for that matter) is diluted with saliva and ‘used up’ within the first 20 seconds of brushing.

So for example, if out of habit you always start on the upper left side when brushing, the teeth and surrounding gum tissue in that area are going to get more than their fair share of abrasive action, and they may weaken over time.

How to avoid overworking one spot in your mouth?

To help mitigate the risk of this habitual ‘starting to brush in the same spot every time’.

Here’s the simple strategy…

Presuming you brush twice a day, start on one side of your mouth in the morning and the other side at night. An easy way to remember this is ‘at night, start on the right’.

So, each morning, start brushing on the left side of your mouth and each night, on the right.

In this way, we reduce the risk of over brushing one area and we spread out the fresh toothpaste/tooth powder to various areas around the mouth.

How to use baking soda in a homemade tooth powder?

We are so grateful for the resurgence of the DIY (do-it-yourself) movement. From making deodorant to raising backyard chickens, we’re all waking up to the benefits of doing or making things ourselves.

If you want to try your hand at making a tooth powder, definitely consider using baking soda as one of the ingredients.

You may also consider using xylitol to boost remineralization. Just make sure that the xylitol is sourced from birch and not corn, so you avoid GMO exposure.

https://orawellness.com/is-baking-soda-safe-to-brush-with/


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The Stress of COVID-19 Linked to Increased Oral Health Problems

The Stress of COVID-19 Linked to Increased Oral Health Problems

Category : Gentalcare

Written by- Jessica Arnold

Posted on October 30, 2020 

If you’ve been feeling a little on edge lately, you’re not alone. According to a report released by Harvard Medical School and the University of North Carolina, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased stress levels in the U.S. by 55%! Elevated stress levels can lead to many overall health problems, including issues affecting your oral health. And the current public health crisis is highlighting how lifestyle stressors can impact health and well-being. New data from the American Dental Association Health Policy Institute’s (HPI) COVID-19 impact poll reports that dentists have seen a rise in stress-related oral health conditions in their patients since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than half of the dentists polled reported an increase in teeth grinding (bruxism), chipped and cracked teeth, and disorders affecting the jaw muscles (temporomandibular symptoms). Over a quarter of these same dentists saw a rise in conditions like cavities and gum disease.

Stress affects your smile

It’s not uncommon for people under a lot of tension to begin grinding their teeth as a response to stress. Clenching the jaw or holding the teeth too tightly together during the day or while sleeping can cause jaw pain, earaches, headaches, and worn down teeth.

Increased stress can also take a toll on your immune system. Evidence suggests that a compromised immune system makes it easier for infections to develop and fester. It means the infections in the mouth, like canker or cold sores, can take longer to heal.

Stress can also lead to bad oral health habits like smoking, drinking, and neglecting a normal hygiene routine, including regular brushing, flossing, and visiting the dentist.

Preventive oral care remains down

HPI survey showed that 99% of dental offices in the U.S. are open. Patient volume leveled off at just over 80% of pre-COVID-19 levels, indicating patients have not fully resumed the usual preventive care and treatment schedules. It is troubling news because it affects adults and children alike.

Ways to reduce stress-related oral health problems

It’s not possible to make the pandemic or the stress associated with it disappear overnight, but you can take steps to make your family’s oral health a priority and reduce stress-related oral health problems.

  1. If you find yourself clenching your jaw during the day, take a few moments to relax your face and jaw muscles and let your teeth part. If you’re a night-grinder, talk with your dentist about solutions, like a mouthguard.
  2. Build up your body’s immune system by getting enough rest and eating healthy foods full of vitamins and minerals.
  3. Brush and floss regularly. Keeping up a good oral hygiene habit at home is the number one way to prevent gum disease and tooth decay.
  4. Visit the dentist. Dental offices are open and taking extra measures to keep you and your family safe. It could include pre-appointment screenings, temperature checks, extra cleaning and sanitation measures, and additional personal protective equipment for patients and staff.

Be sure to make time for some of your favorite ways to relax, like reading a book or going for a bike ride. It is also a great opportunity to try something new! Making healthy choices will help keep your physical and mental health in tip-top shape.  

http://deltadentalazblog.com/covid-19-stress-linked-to-increased-oral-health-problems/


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What Causes Receding Gums?

What Causes Receding Gums?

Category : Gentalcare

Written by- https://orawellness.com/

The internet is full of misinformation around receding gums. What causes it? What can you do to make sure your gums are healthy? What can you do if your gums are already receding?

Let’s start by exploring a bit of mouth anatomy to help create a foundation for this discussion on how to optimize your gum health.

Gum tissue anatomy 101

Our gums are nothing more than a layer of skin that covers the bone tissue of the upper jaw (maxilla) and lower jaw (mandible).

As long as the underlying jaw bone is intact, the gum tissue will stay strong and at healthy levels on the teeth. 

In other words, the only reason gums recede is because the bone that supports the gum tissue has withdrawn.

So, to figure out what’s causing gum recession, we need to first take a look at the 5 main factors that cause jaw bone tissue to withdraw, or demineralize.

5 main causes of jaw demineralization

Here are the five main factors that contribute to diminishing jaw bone tissue:

  1. Periodontal disease (advanced gum disease)
  2. Bruxism (clenching and grinding the teeth)
  3. Nutritional deficiencies
  4. Trauma
  5. Genetics

The jaw bone tissue surrounds all sides of each of our teeth.

Unfortunately, the layer of bone tissue on the facial (outside nearest the skin/lips) surface is very thin, and for some people, it can even be non-existent.

The density of jaw bone tissue on the facial (outer) side of our teeth plays a very key role in gum recession.

The demineralization process of the jawbone doesn’t occur overnight. The bone slowly loses minerals, but its overall structure remains intact. If the cause of the demineralization has been effectively addressed, as long as the ‘scaffolding’ of the jaw bone remains in place, the bone can remineralize.

However, once the scaffolding-like structure of the bone also demineralizes, the gum tissue no longer has the support it needs to remain at optimal levels on the teeth. This bone loss does not immediately cause the gum to recede, but at this point, the gum tissue is very vulnerable to recession. Without the underlying support of the bone to keep it in place, any aggravation can provoke the gum tissue to recede.

How do we stop the gum recession?

We must first identify what’s causing the underlying bone to demineralize, to stop our gums from receding.

One common contributing factor is general nutritional deficiency, so it is always important to ensure you are eating a healthy and balanced diet. Below are some additional reasons why gums might recede.

Gum disease

Gum disease is common in modern times. So, unless we’re sure that we don’t have it, it might be best to operate under the assumption that we have an active infection.

Periodontal disease is a gum disease that has advanced to a point where the jaw bone is being compromised.

You see, in the mouth, the ‘thug bugs’ implicated with gum disease not only directly destroy bone tissue, but they also cause our immune system to go on ‘full alert’.

In an attempt to stop the infection, our immune system creates inflammation in the localized region.

When this infection is chronic (ongoing), it leads to chronic inflammation in the area, which also contributes to a breakdown in jaw bone health.

Bruxism (grinding and clenching)

The stresses of our modern lifestyle may play a part in why some people grind their teeth, researchers are now finding that nighttime grinding is very strongly associated with mild sleep apnea.

Trauma

The trauma of one accident can change the course of a person’s entire life. 

Overall, when we damage a bone, it commonly grows back stronger than before the trauma. However, in the case of our jaw bone, there’s so much risk of infection in or around the jaw that the common occurrence of ‘break it and it gets stronger’ doesn’t seem to apply here.

Genetics

The original thickness of the facial jawbones may be a matter of genetics.

Just like we are all born with variations in our skulls, the texture of our hair, etc., the density of your jaw bone may have a genetic component.

Some people may even have been born with a complete lack of jaw bone tissue on the facial surface.

Like we stated above, if the facial jaw bone diminishes, the gum tissue that was being supported by that bone tissue becomes more at risk of receding.


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