In this article taken from the Alternative Health Journal, we learn more about dental hygiene in today’s world.  Natural dental care is becoming more and more important in dentistry, and these tips could help you avoid the dentist’s drill.  Remember, this is about natural dental care – not emergency dental care and tooth bleaching.  More..

You know that dental care is imperative to a beautiful smile – and that a beautiful smile makes an excellent first impression. Well-cared-for teeth tend to indicate a well-cared-for body. But now it is becoming much more common knowledge that there are many more benefits to good oral hygiene than just avoiding the dentist’s drill.

According to Ellen Kamhi, Ph.D., R.N., author of The Natural Medicine Chest, and who is also the herbalist/nutritionist for naturesanswer.com, drew attention to the Surgeon General’s report that indicated that poor periodontal health affects 75 percent of Americans. She also pointed out that these facts seem to coincide with many major illnesses because the microorganisms that cause periodontal disease quite easily make their way into the heart muscle and other body tissues.

Saliva’s ability to provide markers for a variety of health problems may be the link between oral health and systematic disease.

People Seeking Non-Fluoride Toothpaste

Grace Lo, DDS and co-founder of My Dentist’s Choice, noted that many people have turned from drinking tap water that is treated with fluoride for bottled water. Fluoride when mixed with saliva helps prevent acid formation by bacteria and encourages re-mineralization of teeth. But because of the dangers of swallowing this fluoride, Dr. Lo’s Tooth Tissues uses xylitol, which is a non-fermentable sugar alcohol that helps reduce plaque and starve bacteria, in lieu of fluoride.

Dakshina Vanzetti is the president of Auromere Ayurveda Imports, a company that deals with conscious living products. Vanzetti indicates that there has been an increasing demand for non-fluorinated products as more people have become aware of the dangers of overexposure to fluoride, including fluorosis.

Dr. Ken’s line of oral care products features green tea and leaves out the fluoride. Ken Nussen, DDS and president of Floss & Go Inc also pointed out that at least half of the people prefer fluoride-free choices. This makes use of the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of the green tea, as well as the fact that green tea has been shown to improve oral health.

Probiotics in Dental Care

Jeffrey Hillman, DMD, Ph.D., attests that consumers’ awareness of the positive effects of good bacteria on health has carried over to dental care. Hillman says, “Probiotics for oral care is a brand new category and requires unique bacteria that are natural residents in healthy mouths.”

Hillman informs, “ProBiora3 uses only the strains that are natural residents of the mouth to support the health of the oral cavity. Twenty-five years of data shown in studies prove that the specific organisms patented as ProBiora3 have exerted a beneficial activity in the mouth.”

A product named OrFlora, manufactured by Swiss Labs Inc., also uses probiotics in its formula. Aside from the health benefits of this particular product, OrFlora suggests that the probiotics play a role in reducing bad breath by eliminating its cause: bad bacteria.

Decay-fighting and disease-battling effectiveness of toothpastes, rinses, flosses, and other dental products is being enhanced by vitamins, botanicals, minerals, and cofactors. These natural products stay away from some of those harsh chemicals that many consumers are now looking to avoid. As consumer education has increased the awareness of both positive and negative effects of various ingredients in dental care products, gravitation toward the natural products can be seen.

In an article last week about the dental industry, it was argued that the American Dental Industry, much like the Medical Industry, is about to face a major crisis.  The article claims that for a variety of reasons, the turmoil is evident, and there hasn’t been much focus on it to spread awareness about the changes in dental insurance plans.

Is this true?  Is dental care really hitting a rut, a roadblock?  Or can we look at it in a different light?  The author of the article reported “Whereas only 10.3 percent of physician costs, 3.3 percent of hospital care, and 26.8 percent of nursing-care expenses were paid out-of-pocket in 2007, Americans paid 44.2 percent of dental bills themselves.”  Does this mean that dental bills are overly expensive, or, could we interpret this to simply mean that people have a good, firm understanding of their dental costs when compared to medical fees?  It’s not accurate to think that people aren’t paying as much for medical care; it’s just that many of the associated costs are hidden or foreign (in contrast to personal dental insurance) .

In a different article from Forbes, Joshua Zumbrun talks about “how affordable some options for dental care are, mentioning the student clinic at NYU. I’ve been there, incidentally, as a close friend of mine went to dental school at NYU. The clinic is crazy cheap, after a student looks you over, one of the real dentists comes by to double check, it’s clean, if a bit crowded.”  He goes on to say that there is basic, affordable dental insurance, and that regular coverage can typically be bought for about $25 monthly, which is very reasonable when compared to traditional, medical healthcare (though low cost dental care may carry a maximum benefit cap).

For those who need operations, like root canals and wisdom tooth extractions, standard dental coverage may not be the best option – it likely will not cover expensive surgical procedures or emergency dental care (cosmetic dental care, either).  However, it is extremely rare that this is ever the case, and most dental procedures are not priced to the sky – unlike the fees their medical counterparts charge for procedures and tests.  And what if you do have to pay an overly expensive bill?  Zumbrun will tell you to just borrow it, stating “I borrowed money to go to school. Some people, because of their parents, or a work benefit, or a scholarship, or whatever, went to school for much less or even for free. But I don’t consider it some grave injustice that I took out some loans when others didn’t.”  Take out a loan or ask for financial assistance.  Education is important, and so is your oral health.  There is a parallel.

The main point is, there is likely no dental healthcare crisis that is either prevalent or on the rise at this time.  While there are some out of pocket expenses, and some people have limited or no coverage, the industry is in much better shape that the medical healthcare industry.  Paying out of pocket might be frustrating, and out of pocket expenses might be higher on a percentage basis, but overall costs and benefits are definitely very reasonable within a cheap dental plan.  The system, at this point, actually seems to be working fairly well.