Health Insurance Coverage, Who Really Benefits?

Health is a primary need

Primary needs are considered natural or untaught needs determined by innate factors to an individual or their environment such as food,water and shelter.  Health is another primary need because without it, one may not be able to inquire or utilize any other element regardless of its necessity.

Benefits of Brushing Your Teeth with Baking Soda

Image by Earthworm via Flickr

We have all heard about the many uses for baking soda, the natural cleaner.  But have you tried brushing your teeth  with it?  Baking soda has been used as a tooth cleanser for over 150 years.  Somehow it got the reputation as being abrasive, therefore detrimental to the enamel.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  Toothpastes are rated on a scale from 0 – 200according to their abrasiveness.  This is called the RDA value or “Relative Dentin Abrasiveness”.  Pure baking soda has an RDA of 7.  The closest RDA to this is 35, which is Arm & Hammer baking soda toothpaste.  TheRDA’s for every other tooth paste on the market just go up from here.  You can read more about toothpastes and their respective RDA values here.

There are many reasons for using baking soda for brushing teeth.  It is not only the least abrasive substance to use but it also whitens teeth, removes stain, and is also an effective germ killer against the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease.

Xylitol, the Sweet Revenge!

What is Xylitol?

Xylitol is a natural sweetener made from the fibrous parts of plants.  It is widely encountered in nature in a variety of fruits and vegetables and commonly extracted from birch bark.  It has a sweet taste similar to sugar and has40% fewer calories than regular sugar.

Which Toothpaste is the Right One for You?

Preparing this blog took much longer than we had anticipated!  At first we thought we knew all there was to know about different kinds of toothpastes and their use and indications but once we started exploring, we realized how little we knew and how hard it is to get some answers from various toothpaste manufacturers.

Fluoride, a Friend or Foe

In 1945 many cities in the United States began adding sodium fluoride into the public water system. The idea that fluoridated water helped strengthen tooth enamel thereby decreasing the incidence of tooth decay came about in the 1930s. 

What Is Acid Erosion of the Teeth?

Acid erosion is the wearing away of tooth enamel. Enamel is mostly calcium, which is dissolved away by acid quite easily. Food or drink with a pH of 5 or less can dissolve the enamel from teeth. 
What are the symptoms, signs and effects of acid erosion? 
Acid erosion can wear away the enamel and change the texture, shape and appearance of your teeth, and may also lead to tooth sensitivity. People often do not become aware of acid erosion until it has reached an advanced stage. Detailed dental examinations can help to detect acid erosion in its earlier stages. Here are the typical signs and effects of acid erosion:
1.  Transparency: Teeth may appear slightly "glassy" or transparent near their biting edges. This tends to be an earlier warning sign of acid erosion.

What Is the Best Tooth Brush to Buy?

There are two kinds of brushes: manual brushes and power brushes.

Sonicare Flexcare

Of the power brushes there are those requiring batteries and those with rechargeable stands. The head movement of the battery operated brushes (those you buy at Target for $6-$7) is not very effective. Look for a brush with its own rechargeable stand.  We recommend the higher end brushes: Sonicare or Oral-B.  The price runs about $90.00. The Sonicare has the conventional style brush head, long and thin. The Oral-B has a small, round head. Both are good brushes. It’s just a matter of preference regarding the brush head. The bristles in both the Sonicare and Oral-B are soft enough to prevent them causing recession. However, remember that when using a power brush not to push too hard against the teeth while brushing. Let the brush do the work.

Does It Matter What Kind of Floss I Use?

According to the studies it does not matter. We will discuss different types of floss and tell you why we prefer some flosses over others.
Dental floss is available in many forms and textures: waxed and unwaxed, flavored and unflavored, tape or ribbon, and in varying widths: thin, regular, or wide. Some floss has a fluoride coating to help prevent dental caries, but its effectiveness has not yet been proven.