An t i - Ag i ng DENTISTRY MONTHLY NEWS
JULY 2019
3 Trends That May Be Harming Your Teeth
Not all health trends are good for your oral health. There are many trends and practices that, on the surface, sound healthy but can do serious damage to your teeth and gums. One trend I’ve noticed more recently is lemon water. Warm lemon water is said to be helpful for the gut and to ease digestion. Many people have a glass of lemon water in the morning and again in the evening. Some people drink the beverage all day. However, lemon is one of the most acidic foods you can ingest. While it may be good for the body, it is not good for the teeth. I tell patients that if they do drink lemon water, make it a full glass of warm water with no more than half a lemon. I also advise anyone who drinks lemon water, or any acidic beverage, to drink through a straw. This helps reduce the wear on the enamel. The acidity of lemon is very destructive to the enamel. For people who drink lemon water (or any lemon-based drink) every day, they will start noticing a change in their teeth. The biggest change often comes in the form of sensitivity. As the enamel wears down, sensitivity goes up. Another common trend is juicing. People are consuming more green and red juices. While juicing is a good way to get additional nutrients into the body and slim down, juices and smoothies can be hard on the teeth. The biggest problem is staining. Regular consumption of green and red juices or smoothies can lead to persistent stains and discoloration of the teeth. Again, the best solution for anyone drinking juices or smoothies is to make sure you use a straw — and if you use a metal straw, make sure to never bite down; metal straws can damage your teeth if you bite down too hard! One of my biggest concerns, however, is how destructive so many oral care products can be. Many products on the market today contain antibiotics or antimicrobials. We are doing a lot of damage to our oral biome with even just our toothpastes or mouthwashes.
The truth is, while our mouths are home to many harmful types of bacteria, we do live in harmony with many forms of bacteria. Using harsh products, many of which are under the Colgate and Crest labels, destroys these bacteria. At the same time, these products can cause more resistive bacteria to grow. We all want our mouths to feel fresh and clean, and many people have the mindset that all oral bacteria are bad. We need to change the way we think. Many people make sure to promote a healthy gut biome with probiotic supplements, kefir, yogurt, and other foods, but you can also promote a healthy oral biome. It comes down to treating your mouth with care. When I developed the Lumineux Oral Essentials line, I focused on safe, biocompatible ingredients. These weren’t just ingredients that were biocompatible with the body, but they were also compatible with the good bacteria we have in our mouths. As a result, Oral Essentials is the only oral care line that is certified nontoxic.
You can have a fresh, clean, and healthy mouth without sacrificing anything!
-Dr. Maddahi
www.drmaddahi.com 1
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