The Healty Mouth Need More Than A Brush!

If you're like most people when it comes to taking care of your teeth, it is more than likely you're not giving them enough attention. If brushing your teeth is as far as you go in your dental care you need to do more and to avoid future dental problems you'll need to put out a little more effort. Remember that many diseases begin in the gums!

Problems with the teeth, gums, and underlying jawbone initially start because of plaque. Plaque is the colorless (sometimes yellowish) film that always covers your teeth. Large numbers of bacteria are present in plaque, and many of the varieties can cause dental decay. Plaque bacteria feed on fermenting carbohydrates primarly simple refined sugars. As the bacteria grow and produce energy from the sugars, they also produce waste byproducts that can cause problems.

Acids likd acetic, lactic, and propionic acid and enzymes are two such byproducts. The enzymes break down the proteins that cover and protect your teeth, while the acids cause the calcium to be eaten away. This calcium, along with the other minerals, forms hard stone-like deposits called tartar. As the tooth surface is destroyed, cavities are formed on the visible areas of the tooth.

Also, as tartar begins to build up near the gum line, it begins to irritate the gum tissue. In response to this irritation, the gums begin to detach from the teeth and move away, leaving pockets and newly exposed surfaces that are quickly covered by plaque. As the process continues, the plaque bacteria eventually reach the bone of the jaw, which anchors the teeth.

Gerard Judd, PhD, is a chemist who has turned his lifelong interest in oral health into a program that gives results. Dr. Judd first came into contact with fluoride while he was working on the Manhattan Project during World War II.

When he heard about efforts to introduce fluoride into the water supply in his hometown of Phoenix, he felt he had to take action. Because acid is constantly being produced by the bacteria in your mouth, you need to rinse the acidity away as often as you can. Keeping acid away will keep your enamel from thinning, but it won't do anything to replace the minerals that are already gone.

The standard approach is to either add fluoride to the water supply or use a toothpaste that contains fluoride or both. In addition to the severe neurological damage and widespread destruction of enzymes, fluoride also results in more brittle teeth that tend to crack and break.

Commercial bar soap, on the other hand, is very effective for cleaning teeth. This may be because during saponification, the process of mixing an oil with a strong alkali compound to make soap, both soap and glycerin are created.

Dr. Judd also suggests buying powdered ascorbic acid in bulk. Then mix 1 teaspoon of the ascorbic acid powder with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a small amount of water.