Denture Cream Consumer Alert

Today Good Morning America announced that excessive use of denture cream can cause dizziness and nerve damage and adversely affect your balance and walking.

The consumer alert targeted 35 million Americans who use denture creams containing zinc.

1. Use only 3 to 4 dime-sized dots on your denture at one time.
2. Do not overfill your denture. You are using too much cream if it oozes out of your denture.
3. Do not use denture cream overnight.
4. If your denture does not fit properly, have it relined or get a new one.

Long exposure to too much denture cream means high doses of zinc in your body. High levels of zinc in your body drive down the natural amount of copper in your body, which can adversely affect your spine, which may put you in a wheelchair.

Super Polygrip, owned by Glaxo Smith Klein, and Fixodent, owned by Proctor & Gamble, were specifically mentioned.

Do you think that if a company does not list the ingredients in a product, it has something to hide?

Keep smiling.

Saundra Goodman
Got Teeth? A Survivor's Guide
How to keep your teeth or live without them.
http://www.gotteethguide.com/ for your Free Tips.

Eliminate soda from your diet for healthier teeth.

Change a habit and stop drinking all sodas, including diet soda. Soda contains phosphoric acid that can make your teeth and bones soft. Dr. Robbin Quarterman, DMD, suggests that drinking soda may do as much damage as cigarettes to your teeth. Dr. Quarterman also suggests avoiding beverages high in salt.

Water, green tea, coffee, and lemonade with natural sugars may help you maintain healthier teeth. Prevention is a critical aspect for healthy teeth.

Water and green tea are my favorites. Okay, once a year on a special occasion I might have a soda, but only if ice cream accidentally falls into – and that hardly ever happens. A root beer float reminds me of my childhood and quenches my craving.

Keep smiling.

Saundra Goodman
Got Teeth? A Survivor’s Guide
How to keep your teeth or live without them.
http://www.gotteeth.blogspot.com/ for your Free Tips.

Financial stress takes the bite out of your teeth. Part III

Research shows that stress can make it difficult for our bodies to fight all infections, including periodontal disease and heart disease. Teeth grinding is an indication of stress.

The following techniques may help you stop grinding your teeth:

1. Find ways to reduce your stress level and relax.
2. Avoid or limit the amount of caffeine and alcohol you consume.
3. Ask your dentist about the use of a night guard.
4. If an abnormal bite is the cause of teeth grinding, your dentist can treat the improper alignment.

Teeth grinding is treatable and usually begins with a custom-made, plastic mouth guard that is worn while sleeping. Less intrusive and effective methods involve biofeedback and behavior modifications such as tongue exercises and learning how to properly align your tongue, teeth and lips. (Some of these methods are expensive.)

Constant teeth grinding will cause more stress and grinding if you wait too long. See your dental professional now.

Keep smiling.

Saundra Goodman
Got Teeth? A Survivor's Guide
How to keep yor teeth or live without them.
http://www.gotteethguide.com/ for your Free Tips.

Periodontal disease won't wait.

Make an appointment with your periodontist as soon as possible in 2009 if you haven't had a dental check up and teeth cleaning in the last six months. Periodontal cleanings are more in-depth than dental cleanings, so you might want to ask if they have nitrous oxide. They can't touch me without it.

Please vote for me in the People's Health Blogger Awards. Just click the "Vote Now" button on the left on my blog and on the right on my Wellsphere page. Thanks.

Happy New Year Blessings.

Keep smiling.

Saundra Goodman
Got Teeth? A Survivor’s Guide
How to keep your teeth or live without them.
http://www.gotteethguide.com/ for your Free Tips.

Holiday tips for seniors includes dental health.

Special dietary care and concern should be taken into consideration by and for elderly people. Tooth loss, pain, and joint dysfunction (arthritis) can diminish the chewing abilities of elderly people who are on restrictive diets and under medical treatment. These people may be isolated or too weak to shop for, prepare, and/or eat the nutritional meals so vital to their existence.

Toothpaste and/or denture cleaner, a toothbrush and/or a denture brush in their favorite color, dental floss (waxed and unwaxed), and antiseptic mouthwash are things that they use and run out of all the time. I know I do. Throw in some soaps, hand creams, and shampoos you know they like to make a thoughtful gift basket. You’ll be helping people who are on a fixed income save money.

You may want to include some nutritious food in the basket such as crackers, cheese, single serving soups and cereal, tuna fish, peanut butter, canned fruits, their preference of coffee or tea, and their favorite cake or cookies.

That’s a great gift.

Keep smiling.

Saundra Goodman
Got Teeth? A Survivor’s Guide
How to keep your teeth or live without them.
http://www.gotteethguide.com/ for your Free Tips.

The Patron Saint of Dentistry

In 249 AD Rome, a woman named Apollonia was tortured and killed for practicing her Christian faith in public. Legend has it that “her tormentors broke her teeth with iron points, and extracted the roots with tongs.”

The legend also says that after her teeth were broken, she was given a choice of renouncing her faith or being burned alive, whereupon she voluntarily jumped into the fire. Her suffering resulted in her canonization as the Patron Saint of Dentistry in 300 AD.

The following is a prayer to Saint Apollonia:

“Apollonia, Apollonia, Holy Saint in Heaven,
see my pain in yourself. Free me from evil pain,
for my toothache may torture me to death.”

Keep smiling.

Saundra Goodman
Got Teeth? A Survivor’s Guide
How to keep your teeth or live without them.
http://www.gotteethguide.com/

Five vitamins and minerals that help maintain healthy teeth and gums.

1. Vitamin A: Beef, eggs, liver, salmon, shrimp, fortified milk, cheddar cheese and Swiss cheese.

2. Vitamin C: Bell peppers, broccoli, potatoes, spinach and fruits and fruit juices (especially citrus). Studies have revealed that people who consume less of Vitamin C tend to be 25% more likely to suffer from gum disease.

3. Vitamin D: Fortified cereals, fortified milk, fatty fish (helps absorb Calcium).

4. Calcium: Cheese, fortified juices, milk, tofu, salmon, sardines with bones, yogurt, and leafy green vegetables (including broccoli and kale, but not spinach or Swiss chard, which have binders that lessen absorption). 99% of the calcium in your body is your bones and your teeth. Dietary calcium is needed to make sure they’re in good shape.

5. Phosphorus: Almonds, broccoli, eggs, dairy products, green peas, fish, liver, meat, milk, potatoes, and poultry.

If you don’t eat fresh fruits and vegetables, take vitamins to supplement your diet.
If you have, or will soon have dental or periodontal surgery, it is especially important to include Vitamin B-12 and Vitamin E.

Keep smiling.

Saundra Goodman
Got Teeth? A Survivor’s Guide
How to keep your teeth or live without them.
http://www.gotteethguide.com/

The trouble with teeth: October is National Dental Hygiene Month.

More than 30 million denture wearers in the United States didn’t see a dental professional in time to save their teeth: 75% of new patients don’t know they have gum disease until they are diagnosed.

If you haven’t been to a dental professional this year, now is the time to begin your oral health regime. Regular check-ups will identify gum disease and help you save your teeth and half of your bank account.

Early gum disease (gingivitis) is reversible with professional treatment and diligent oral home care.

1. Brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day.
2. Get your teeth professionally cleaned at least every six months to maintain healthy teeth and gums.

If left untreated, early gum disease can lead to periodontal disease, which can result in jawbone loss, tooth loss, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, pre-term low-birth weight babies, stroke, and more.

Don't ignore the warning signs of gum disease:

1. Red, swollen or tender gums.
2. Gums that bleed when you brush (pink in the sink).
3. Recurring bad breath.

Go to your dental professional this month and keep smiling.

Saundra Goodman
Got Teeth? A Survivors' Guide
How to keep your teeth or live without them.
http://www.gotteethguide.com/ for your Free Tips.

Periodontal disease is a contact sport with teeth.

The American Academy of Periodontology (http://www.perio.org/) says, “Research suggests that the bacteria causing periodontal disease can pass through saliva. This means that common contact of saliva in families puts children and couples at risk for contracting the periodontal disease of another family member.”

Exchanging medical and criminal records are old news when getting serious about a relationship. Does this mean we have to exchange dental records before dating someone new?

Keep smiling.

Saundra Goodman
Got Teeth? A Survivor’s Guide
How to keep your teeth or live without them.
For more information, please visit http://www.gotteethguide.com/ and get your Free Tips.

Control periodontal disease with laser surgery.

My Halloween highlight was Laser Periodontal Therapy™ surgery at 9:00 AM, October 31, 2007 to save and restore two hopeless teeth and the gums that surround them.

The laser-based surgery is new in town and is cutting edge (no pun intended). It offers no cutting and no stitches, which means less pain, less bleeding, less swelling, less tissue removal, less down time, and less recovery time.

This was my first laser surgery and I was so nervous walking through the parking lot into the dental office, I think I developed an eye twitch.

The staff smiled and helped me relax while the vanilla-scented nose cone was attached to the Nitrous Oxide hook-up. My periodontist administered numerous Novocaine injections and I was given goggles with green lenses to wear, which would protect my eyes from the laser. It was the ultimate Halloween experience.

My periodontist and his team have the newest equipment and training to control periodontal (gum) disease. If you’ve been told you need periodontal surgery to save your teeth, ask about this new laser technique. It can save your teeth and your money.

What I know for sure is that it’s all connected.

Saundra

Saundra Goodman
Got Teeth? A Survivor’s Guide
How to keep your teeth or live without them.
www.gotteethguide.com

Menopausal women, postmenopausal women and gum disease.

It just never stops.

Dry mouth, pain, burning sensations, and changes in taste (peppery, salty, sour) are mild compared to the risk factors that include poor diet and low calcium intake, diabetes, cavities, and poor oral hygiene.

Menopause can cause gums to be sore and sensitive. A small percentage of women are affected by menopausal gingivitis, when gums might look shiny or dry, bleed, and range in color from pale to deep red.

Postmenopausal women can acquire something that is not clearly understood or easily pronounceable called desquamative gingivitis. This disease causes layers of the gums to shed and leaves the gum tissue raw and the nerves exposed.

What does this mean to you?

Debate continues among professionals regarding hormone replacement therapy. Some say it can cause gums to redden, bleed, and swell, and some say it will relieve the symptoms. So give us a break already.

Prevention is the key. Speak to your dental and health professionals and do your own research if you are menopausal or post-menopausal. Visit your dental professional at least twice a year for check-ups and professional cleaning.

What I know for sure is that it’s all connected!

Saundra
Got Teeth? A Survivor's Guide
How to keep your teeth or live without them.
http://www.gotteethguide.com/