We all know how bad plaque is for your teeth. It's no new discovery. And plaque left to its own devices can be quite nasty. Cavities, gingivitis and gum disease are just a few conditions from neglecting the buildup. So what are the easiest ways to fight it?

First and foremost, choose toothpaste that has plaque preventing ingredients. Look for the ingredient Triclosan which is thought to fight plaque as long as 12 hours after you brush. And remember to brush at least twice a day.

If you drink red wine, green tea or cranberry juice regularly, good for you. All of these beverages contain polyphenols that are said to reduce plaque formation.

Use olive oil when you cook and also as a salad dressing. Olive oil contains oleuropein, which is an antibacterial compound that stops gram negative types of bacteria, which is the type that cause bone loss and gum disease, from attaching to teeth.

Chewing gums that contain Sorbitol or Xylitol, which are sugar substitutes, have the effect of reducing plaque. Xylitol can't be used by oral bacteria and they starve.

Floss regularly! Regardless of all the other things you can do to reduce plaque, you still need to get between your teeth.

And last but certainly not least, have your teeth cleaned regularly

Posted in Gum Disease, Headlines

Did you know there's somewhat of a wonder drug out there that can help prevent bone loss, improve your oral health and reduce your risk for a number of different cancers along with a slew of other chronic health problems? Oh yeah, tell me more. What's it called? What's it cost?

Well it's called sunshine and it's free, and very abundant here in Denver and Boulder. To elaborate, from the sunshine comes vitamin D. And if you'd like, you can also buy it in the supplement aisle at your local drug store. Vitamin D has quite a bit to do with your dental health and considering that almost 40% of Americans today are deficient, learning more about this hormone vitamin D is well worth the reading.

Not getting enough vitamin D plays two large roles in oral health. The first is jaw bone degeneration and the second is increased inflammation which is constantly linked to periodontal disease.

So get out in the sunshine or hit your local drugstore or vitamin shop for this important supplement. You can even get vitamin D from incorporating dairy or fish into your meals. However you get your vitamin D fix, just know that not only will your body thank you but your mouth will thank you as well.

Posted in Gum Disease, Headlines

Even the president's children need a little straightening out sometimes. And for President Obama's oldest daughter, Malia, the straightening comes by way of braces. In a recent speech Obama says that Malia is his baby but seeing how she's only 12 years old yet already 5'9", he welcomes the braces because they make her look younger.

Watch the video from ABC News and read the full article here.

Posted in Braces, Headlines

Like drinking hot tea? Better not make it too hot. I study in Iran shows that those that repeatedly drink extremely hot tea are a high risk for esophageal cancer (throat cancer). For the people of the Golestan Province in Iran, only two beverages are highly consumed - water and tea. Hopefully when they drink water it is cold and refreshing but according to an article from ABC they drink their tea piping hot. In addition to piping hot tea, they also have a rather high throat cancer rate.

When studied, 300 out of 871 Golestan Province residents had throat cancer. Very hot tea, alcohol consumption and smoking tobacco were all factors taken into account but the British Medical Journal stated in the findings that drinking "very hot" tea increases the risk for esophageal cancer.

Cancer of the oesophagus, the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach, kills more than 500,000 people worldwide each year. So what is considered HOT when it comes to beverages? A temperature of 156 degrees is hot and also at this temperature, the rate of throat cancer supposedly doubles. Even worse, just two degrees higher at 158, the risk increases eight times!  Ouch! Next time you're enjoying a warm drink, take its temperature and see where your drink falls in on the hot meter.  

Posted in Gum Disease, Headlines

In sports, pads of every kind are used. Athletes wear shin guards, knee pads, elbow pads, shoulder pads and the list goes on. And of course then there are youth sports and the kids that play can barely breathe for all the protective gear they have on. But one thing is almost always missing - a mouth guard. Did you know that 600,000 people end up in the emergency room every year with dental injuries related to athletic activity? Estimates say that roughly 200,000 injuries are prevented in athletes that wear mouth guards and dentists estimate that between 13% and 39% of dental injuries occur while playing sports. Do you or your children play sports on a regular basis? An even better question would be when you play sports do you wear a protective mouth guard?

An article in Colgate describes a boy you got his teeth caught in a basketball net and a girl who knocked out her teeth while bowling. These weren't cases of professional sports, only recreational activities. That being said, mouth guards are for anyone who plays sports, not just professional athletes.

There are several options to choose from when looking for a mouth guard. Stock guards are the most basic guards, boil and bite fitted guards in which you boil the material and then create a custom fit by biting into the material and letting it cool or custom-fitted guards created just for you by your dentist. Of course the more custom fit the better. If you wear braces and play sports, a dentist created guard is best for safety reasons.

Ask your dentist today about custom mouth guards if you or your child plays sports. And remember that a smile is a terrible thing to waste.

Posted in Braces, Headlines