An t i - Ag i ng DENTISTRY MONTHLY NEWS
Oral Care: AUGUST 2019
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE NON-TOXIC?
What does it mean to be “non-toxic”?
been around for a long time. They are ingredients we know, have studied, and are compatible with our bodies.
When I talk about the Lumineux Oral Essentials line of products — the toothpastes, mouthwashes, and whitening strips — I often mention that they are non-toxic. In fact, they are the only certified non-toxic oral care products on the market. What makes these products non-toxic and effective is the unique combination of all-natural ingredients. To be called non-toxic, the ingredients must not kill healthy cells. That said, there are different types of toxicity. For instance, we can look at short-term toxicity or long-term toxicity: Short-term toxicity is more immediate. If you introduce this type of toxic compound into your body, it will do damage quickly. Long-term toxicity is more of a build-up. You won’t notice anything right away. It may take weeks or months, or longer, for the toxicity to build up and start negatively affecting your body. Research over the past few years has shown that many products on the market have toxic components, but it’s typically an ingredient that takes an extended period of time to build up in the body.
For example, salt is native to our bodies. We use Dead Sea salt in our mouthwash as a signature ingredient because it’s an effective cleaning agent and biocompatible with our bodies. Like the Dead Sea salt, all of the other ingredients we use are scrutinized under two different criteria: They maintain the oral biome (they don’t kill healthy cells), and they don’t kill bacteria. Early on, we looked at a variety of ingredients. Some other products use tea tree oil, for example. It’s a natural essential oil and has become a common antibiotic. However, while it may be natural, it can be toxic in high doses, so I don’t want to use it in my products. Additionally, the ingredients in my line needed to be food-grade to ensure they are extra safe for consumption. There are no pharmaceutical ingredients, no artificial colorings, or synthetic preservatives. Every single ingredient works with the mouth and the body to clean, protect, and restore. All of these elements come together to make Oral Essentials line what it is. One big question that comes up is this: If our products don’t kill bacteria, then what are they doing? How are they “cleaning”? While our products don’t kill bacteria, the ingredients do something we consider more important: They neutralize the toxins released by the bacteria. These toxins can cause bad breath, tooth decay, and gum disease. When you get down to it, the problem isn’t the bacteria itself, but the byproducts of the bacteria. It’s important to read the ingredient list of the products you buy, including the toothpastes and mouthwashes you use. The ingredient list of the Oral Essentials products is short and easy to understand— all while being certified nontoxic. You won’t find that anywhere else.
Some oral-care companies label their products as non-toxic (though, not certified non-toxic), and this can be technically true. They put their products
through short-term studies that look for short-term toxicity. These studies don’t find anything and the companies market their products accordingly.
I wanted to change the conversation and look at toxicity as a whole. I wanted to use ingredients we know for a fact aren’t toxic (in the short term and the long term) and have
-Dr. Maddahi
1
www.drmaddahi.com
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