What You Need to Know About Hand Disinfectants

Good old fashion hand washing with a mild soap is just what our moms have told us to do to be clean and stop the spread of germs. Studies are revealing that disinfectants commonly used in homes and medical facilities can INCREASE THE RESISTANCE of some life-saving antibiotics! In laboratory experiments, researchers showed that germs can rapidly mutate, building resistance to progressively higher doses of disinfectants known as BSK, or benzalkonium chloride. BSK is used in cleaning and disinfecting products to kill bacteria, fungi and algae. In the research the germs/bacteria developed resistance up to 400 times greater than the non-mutated strain. The strain P.aeruginosa built up immunity against ciprofloxacin up to 10 times more than the baseline bacteria. The bacteria outgrew the so-called 'sensitive' strains so rapidly it was had to believe! That means that we have a problem - disinfectants may highly increase antibiotic resistance. Reconsider the casual use of hand sanitizers and other cleaning agents. Remember what our Moms said, wash your hands!

Gluten Sensitivity - Celiac Disease & Oral Health

Gluten is found in wheat and similar proteins such as rye and barley as well as dental and personal care products. Gluten is a difficult protein to digest. In celiac disease the immune system attacks gluten as if it were a pathogen. The small intestines can be damaged resulting in poor absorption of important nutrients. The poor absorption of iron, calcium, folic acid and vitamins A, D E and K can have many serious health problems including oral health. Sores in the corners of the mouth (angular cheilitis) and ulcers (aphthous ulcers)in the mouth commonly appear. Tooth enamel defects may occur on the incisors and first molars of adult teeth. The teeth may have white, yellow or brown spots, pitting or banding of the teeth or they may have a translucent appearance. Bonding or Porcelain Veneers can be applied to the teeth to cover the enamel defects. Dentists and Dental Hygienists may be the first to observe early oral warning signs in children. Patients should be referred to a gastroenterologist. Dental products that are 100% free of gluten are Tom's of Maine and The Natural Dentist. Tom's of Maine offers toothpaste, deoderant, mouthwash, dental floss, and soap products. Drug labels can be misleading because the source of the inactive ingredients might be changed. Find out the gluten content of drugs at www.glutenfreedrugs.com. October is National Celiac Awareness Month.

F.Y.I. Report Links Cell Phone Use To Brain Damage

The Interphone study, begun in 1999, researched the risk of brain tumors as well as other harmful health suspicions linked to cell phone use. Health concerns are: Brain Tumors, Eye Cancer, Testicular Cancer, Salivary Gland Tumors, Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and Leukemia. A special warning for children younger than age 8 to not use cell phones except for emergencies because their brains can absorb more radiation. Teenagers should limit calls to less than 10 minutes. The U.K., Belgium, Germany, France and Russia have issued precautions regarding cell phone use due to potential health risks. Austria reports in the last 10 years a 21% increase in brain tumors in children. The U.K. and Europe report a 40%increase in brain tumors over the last 20 years. Go to Mercola.com and read, Approaching Epidemic: Brain Damage From Mobile Phone Radiation. To be on the safe side follow these suggestions:
1. Buy A Low-Radiation Phone - Look up your phone at ewg.org/cellphone-radiation.
2. Use A Headset Or Use the Speaker - Headsets emit continuous low-leveal radiation.
3. Listen More and Talk Less - Cell phones emit radiation when you talk or text, but not when receiving messages.
4. Hold Phone Away From Body - Don't keep it on your belt or in a pocket.
5. Choose Texting Over Talking
6. Bad Signal? Stay Off The Phone - Fewer signal bars means the cell phone will emit more radiation to get the signal to the tower.
7. Limit Children's Phone Use - Young children's brains absorb twice the cell phone radiation as an adult's.
8. Skip The Radiation Shield - antenna caps and keypad covers reduce the connection quality and force the phone to transmit at a higher power with higher radiation.
Source: ewg.org/cellphone-radiation

Dental Implants And Stem Cells

Restoring missing teeth with dental implants requires the patient to have a good and dense amount of bone for the implant to be held in place. Traditional and Mini implants are availble, but when a patient has had a large amount of bone loss they are limited in having a successful implant treatment. Now your own jaw bone can be regrown from your own stem cells taken from the bone marrow in your hip! A minimally invasive and relatively painless porcedure to harvest stem cells from the bone marrow can be transplanted into the jaw to create a dense bone structure where a dental implant later can be permanently set. Dental implants are the most natural solution to replacing a missing tooth providing long term resluts.
Source April 2009 Dental Tribune

Healthy Eating Pyramid

The Healthy Eating Pyramid from the Harvard School of Public Health focuses on a healthy life style. Consider what your Health Span v.s.Life Span is. Health Span being the length of time from birth until disabled and Life Span being the time from birth to death. The key target of this pyramid is Health Span as it shows how to live longer and have a longer period of life with good cognitive and physical health. Our Health Span is affected by having healthy
teeth! Not having the ability to eat does cause a disability that affects food choices and ultimately your health. Take care of your teeth and they'll take care of you.

February is Children's Dental Health Month

Here are some fun facts the kids will enjoy! Every person has a tongue print. A crocidile cannot stick its tongue out. The first toothbrushes are from China in 1498
and were made from hog, horse and badger bristles. Nylon bristled brushes were made 1938. Elephants grind through 6 sets of teeth in their life. Most tooth loss happens in people under age 35 from athletic events, accidents and fights. After age 35 gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss.
Here are a couple fun facts for the adults - A passionate kiss burns 6.4 calories per minute. By age 60, most people have lost half of their taste buds.

Stay Healthy and Save Money

The importance of preventing tooth decay and dental infections is brought into focus by the latest research. Study after study has put to rest the notion that infections of the teeth and periodontium (gums and bone) does not stop in the mouth. Definitive links between oral health and adverse general health problems affecting organs, joints, increased risk of stroke, heart attack and even crossing the placenta effecting the health of developing babies in utero. Today I came across an article in the ADA News - Perio Treatment May Lower Diabetics Medical Costs. University of Michigan researchers studied 2,674 diabetics ages 18 to 64. They found the people in this group who received one or two yearly routine periodontal treatments, like dental cleanings and scaling, have significantly lowered medical costs than those who do not have regular cleanings. Their Medical care decreased by 11% PER MONTH compared to those who did not have yearly cleaning visits. Those that received 3 or 4 treatments, medical costs decreased by 12%. Even insurance companies know that by paying 100% of 2 ck-up and cleanings a year they will pay out less to fix your teeth over time because preventive care can minimize future dental costs. I recently heard a medical doctor on t.v. say that bleeding gums is a better indicator of cardiovascular disease than your cholesterol numbers! Wow! Make 2009 the year to save your teeth, health and money!