by Heather the HygienistNovember 07, 20214 min read
If you are on social media, chances are you are no stranger to the charcoal or bentonite clay toothpaste advertisements telling you that they can make your teeth whiter. But, is this true? Being a dental hygienist for 25 years, I can tell you emphatically, no!
by Heather the HygienistNovember 07, 20212 min read
In my previous blog about why I don't recommend fluoride, I mentioned that fluoride was used as a rat poison. I know this may surprise people, but the reason why it was so effective in killing rodents is because of its protoplasmic ability. That means the fluoride changes the permeability of the cell membrane by inhibiting certain enzymes. Here is a link to the history of fluoride and proof of its use as an insecticide
by Heather the HygienistNovember 07, 20212 min read
So, why is Simply Silver Mouthwash the SAFEST choice for your oral health? SSM does NOT contain toxic chemicals of ANY kind and the main ingredient is a blend of silver solution. Silver is nature's antibiotic. It is anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic and it aids in wound healing. It's the perfect base for a mouthwash instead of an alcohol, water or glycerin which is either too acidic and harmful or does absolutely nothing beneficial for you. Prior to antibiotics, silver was used and the use of silver as medicine goes back thousands of years. Click here for the Medicinal History of Silver
by Heather the HygienistNovember 07, 20213 min read
The mouthwash industry is HUGE business. In fact, it's a 1.4 billion dollar a year industry and that's not including toothpaste. You are probably familiar with the "blue" bottle of mouthwash currently on the shelves today. People tend to disassociate their mouths from the rest of their bodies which is a major mistake. Your mouth has a direct link to your heart. That's why if you put a nitroglycerin table in your mouth it bypasses your GI tract and goes directly to your heart. What long term effects do you think occur when using products daily that are directly linked to cancer? The blue stuff contains alcohol as the base. Alcohol has been linked to both throat and mouth cancer. Also, it contains coal tar dyes that are banned in other countries but allowed here. Methly Salicylate (according to the MSDS) is not only VERY hazardous if ingested but also irritating (slightly hazardous) to the skin.Click here to review Methly Salicylate as stated in section 3that "repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organs damage." And one teaspoon in its pure form would kill you.
by Heather the HygienistNovember 07, 20212 min read
Recently, a news piece came out regarding the "unproven" effects of flossing. The news article might as well have used profanity because that's how offensive that statement is to those of us in the dental profession. LOL When patients ask me about the importance of flossing, I always tell them to only floss the teeth they want to keep! Hopefully, that would be all of them. There seems to be a disconnect between people's perception of the importance of their teeth to their overall health. Too many times over the years I've heard people say, "I'll just have all of my teeth pulled." I cannot fathom that idea. That's like saying your hand has a problem, instead of trying to care for it and rehabilitate it you will just have it amputated. Yes, a prosthetic device can be worn (dentures) but it will NEVER be the same. Dentures are a new set of problems. Having false teeth affects not only how you look, but also the proper digestion of food and even the foods you can eat.
by Heather the HygienistNovember 07, 20211 min read
Don't get me wrong...I'd rather you use a manual toothbrush than say....nothing. I once had a patient that didn't brush his teeth for 17 years! Yes, I said 17 years! At 30 years old he was going to lose all of his teeth and because of the massive bone loss from periodontal disease there was very little bone left in his mouth to even wear dentures.
by Heather the HygienistNovember 07, 20212 min read
Come on...admit it...we've all encountered THAT person who has stanky breath. You want to say something but hesitate because you don't want to offend them. Trust me...I know. I've encountered many forms of stank breath over the years. There is the mildly offensive bad breath, the middle of the road "get away from me" breath, and then there's the OMG what died in your mouth, death breath, as I call it. So, what's the cause of this pesky odor? Can you say volatile sulfur compounds? Volatile sulfur compounds (VSC's) are caused as a result of sulfur by-products excreted as waste by oral bacteria. Think mouth poop, and it's their presence in our breath that we detect as "bad" breath.
by Heather the HygienistNovember 07, 20213 min read
This is a question I get a lot and I think it's an important one. With all of the information out there about "heavy metals," people are concerned that either ingesting silver or using it orally can cause a build-up of heavy metals in your system. While I agree ingesting silver every single day is not advantageous, there are many people that do believe in very small doses and have been taking it daily for many years. Silver is not just an alternative to antibiotics but I believe it's better because it acts as a germicidal and kills all the bacteria, viruses and fungi. Silver does not harm any of the healthy bacteria but just like anything else, too much of a good thing can do more harm than good. The "smurf" people in the world have abused the daily intake of silver and turned themselves blue (a condition known as argyria).
