Dental Care Articles

Smile, because America’s watching.



The American Dental Association recently conducted a survey and found that most Americans view the smile as the most attractive attribute. Facebook fans everywhere are taking surveys such as “What attracts you most?” with one of the most popular answers being “his/her smile.” Unfortunately, with the sagging economy many people are pushing dental visits down their priority list.



Everyone wants a white, healthy smile, but Cosmetic Dentistry is an expensive luxury and do-it-yourself alternatives often cause tooth sensitivity or other problems. There is one way to safely whiten and improve the health of your teeth with over-the-counter products, says Dr. Ellie Phillips, DDS., author of Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye, from Greenleaf Book Group Press (www.KissYourDentistGoodbye.com).



Phillips says xylitol is the key to a healthy smile.



“Xylitol is one of the most effective methods for removing harmful plaque and cavity-forming bacteria from the mouth,” said Phillips. “Eating two teaspoons of xylitol each day eliminates harmful mouth germs in a matter of months. Germs that feed on sugar or carbohydrates to produce mouth acidity and cause cavities will die off if you expose them to xylitol three or four times a day – preferably after meals or drinks.”



Xylitol is derived from birch wood and granular xylitol is found in most health food stores as a diabetic-safe sugar alternative. Xylitol can be purchased as candies, breath mints, tooth wipes, gels, mouth rinses and even nasal sprays. Small amounts are found in popular chewing gums, but you need sufficient xylitol for it to be effective, so check xylitol is the main ingredient in your gum or candy.



“Harmful bacteria are unable to use xylitol as an energy source, so they are starved and their numbers around teeth gradually reduce,” said Phillips. “Bacteria absorb xylitol as they do regular sugar, but their attempt to process it is unsuccessful. The bacteria continue trying, but use up their resources in this futile effort. When these bacteria die out, less adhesive ones take their place. This second-generation of bacteria are easily removed from teeth by brushing and rinsing, which makes your oral care efforts more rewarding.”



Phillips recommends a regimen that works with xylitol to make teeth and gums healthier and stronger. Her suggestions include:

• A neutral pre-rinse before brushing

• Tooth brushing with a well-formulated toothpaste

• Two mouth rinses after brushing – the first, a well recognized antiseptic rinse, followed immediately by an alcohol-free sodium fluoride rinse



“If used every twelve hours the effects can be astonishing,” Phillips said. “Bad breath will be a thing of the past, bleeding gums heal and dull teeth become shiny and smooth. Even tooth-cleaning fanatics see improvements. I suggest people try this system between dental visits and let their dentist describe what he sees. Don’t be surprised when they demand to know what you have been doing!”



Many oral care products cause concern for Phillips; like rinses that contain harmful ingredients or toothpaste that is too abrasive. Some products are only a temporary fix for tooth sensitivity or tartar build up.



“There is an important chemistry between the pastes and rinses I recommend. This is a precise recipe and substitutions or changing the method will alter the outcome” she said. “This regimen allows you to take charge of your oral health and experience a more beautiful, healthy smile using over-the-counter products. Why not amaze your own dentist?”

Not everyone has considered a dental job for a long-term career move, but more and more people are looking into the dental profession because medical jobs are the ones that are still doing well in this troubling economy. Graduates of dental schools in the UK usually spend a year in training and then they are able to move into their jobs on their own. This may seem like a lot of work and time and effort (and expense) to go through, but where a long-term career is concerned it’s difficult to argue that learning something thoroughly and completely isn’t a good idea. This is not like having a much more casual job where there is little education required. There is nothing at all with these kinds of jobs. Some people enjoy them very much, and if they do, that’s completely fine. However, if you want a long-term career in the dental industry you’ll have to spend a lot of time in school and learning your trade. Once you get to that point, however, you’ll be able to have a long and lucrative career in the dental profession.



Because careers in medicine are in demand even in this slow economy, dental jobs are a good thing to consider. When most people think about medicine they think about doctors and nurses but they really don’t think much about dentists or dental hygienists. These people seem to be seen as outside the field of actual medicine, but they really are not. They work hard and they do a lot to keep people healthy and to help restore their self-esteem by giving them beautiful smiles that can make them feel much more confident and much more comfortable. It’s important to keep that in mind when considering a dental career, since you’ll be improving not only people’s health but their feelings about themselves as well. This is something that a lot of people don’t think about when they think about dentists or the others who work in their offices, but it’s a very important issue in a lot of people’s lives, and it’s a vital service to the community as well as a lucrative career choice.