Many people neglect the health of their teeth and gums.  What they don’t realize is that having healthy teeth is just as important for optimal health as taking care of the rest of your body.  Good dental hygiene requires more than just brushing your teeth once a day.  If that is all you do, then you are at an increased risk of developing a serious dental disorder.

So, today my goal is to convince you that taking care of your teeth and gums should be a priority.  And then I’ll give you some tips on how to keep your teeth and gums healthy.  So, sit back and enjoy the show!

As promised here are the links to the floss and chewing gum articles: Floss or No Teeth for You! and Chewing Gum: Want a Piece?

Some references I used while researching this show are the New Wellness Encyclopedia, WebMD, The American Academy of Periodontology and The American Dental Association.

The video podcast for this week is:

1. Hoarseness:  Save Your Voice!

The blog posts for this week are:

1. Exotic Fruit: Tasty and Healthy
2. Bottled Water: Not All Water Is Created Equal!

If you like the show, please head on over to iTunes and give me a nice review. It’s a great way to give me some good exposure and can help me get more listeners. Thanks for listening, everyone!

You met someone special online a year ago and the two of you have been emailing, instant messaging, texting and calling each other ever since. Today you are finally going to meet them face to face.  Anxious to make a good first impression, you go through your mental checklist and realize that you probably shouldn’t have had that garlic chicken earlier.  You desperately search your car, hoping that you still have a piece of spearmint gum somewhere.  Just before you lose hope, success!  There is one last piece in your glove compartment.  You quickly unwrap it and toss it into your mouth as you get out of the car.  When you see your date waiting for you outside the restaurant, you realize that it was a good thing you found that gum.  They look even better than they did in their pictures!

Gum chewing is one of the most common habits in the world.  It dates back to ancient times.  The Greeks chewed mastic gum, which came from the resin of the mastic tree and was called mastiche.  And all the way over in the Americas, the ancient Mayans chewed a version of gum made from the sap of the sapodilla tree, which they called tsiclte.  However, unlike our distant ancestors, the base of most modern gums is manufactured from a blend of synthetic ingredients (elastomeres, resins and waxes).  But despite the change in ingredients, gum chewing is still a very popular habit.  But is it a healthy habit?

Is gum chewing healthy?
According to the American Dental Association, chewing sugarless gum may actually prevent tooth decay. When you chew gum, you produce extra saliva, which neutralizes tooth decaying acids that are produced during the breakdown of foods in our mouths while we eat.  If unchecked, these acids can break down tooth enamel, causing tooth decay.  The increased saliva also carries minerals that help strengthen the tooth enamel.  Plus, the chewing action helps to squeeze some saliva between your teeth to spread the benefits even to those hard to reach areas.

How can I get the most benefits from chewing gum?
For the best dental results, follow these guidelines:

1. Chew gum right after a meal: After you eat is when the extra saliva can neutralize the acids that are produced when you eat.
2. Chew gum in moderation: Frequent chewing can take a toll on your jawbone and gum tissue.  Since most people chew mainly with one side of the mouth, the favored side can get overused and lead to jaw pain.  Constant chewing can also crack filings and loosen inlays.  So, chew gum for no more then 15 to 20 minutes after each meal.
3. Chew sugarless gum: Sugared gum also increases the saliva production, which is good. Unfortunately the sugar in the gum may lead to tooth decay because the acids that break down your enamel thrive on the sugar in the gum.
4. Stay away from Aspartame or other artificial sweeteners: They may cause negative side effects.  Try to chew gums that contain more natural ingredients.

The bottom line
Chewing gum is not as bad as once thought, as long as you choose sugarless gum.  In fact, the right gum chewed the right way, may actually improve your dental hygiene.  However, it is not a substitute for brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once a day.  Just remember, please throw your gum away in a garbage can when you are done with it.  Don’t leave it on a chair, on the underside of a table or on the sidewalk for someone else to find.  That’s a surprise that none of us enjoys.

As a kid I rarely flossed. Shamefully, I thought it was a waste of time.  I never had a cavity, so I thought that brushing was good enough.  Then, when I was a teenager, my dentist said that if I wanted to keep my healthy gums and teeth, I had better start flossing.  Otherwise, I would get gingivitis.  That was my wake up call.  I did not want to get gingivitis, which is a form of mild gum disease that causes bleeding, swelling and receding gums.  Not something that you want as a teenage girl, that’s for sure.  Worse yet, if it is not treated, it can lead to periodontitis, which is a more serious form of gum disease that results in loss of teeth.

However, I was not alone in not flossing.  Research shows that less then half of Americans floss daily.  They realize that flossing is very important, but being busy is the number one excuse most people give for not flossing.  That’s a terrible excuse because it doesn’t take that long to floss. You could even do it while watching your favorite late night television show if you wanted to. Just don’t do it if you’re sitting next to me.

Why should I floss?
Flossing is very important if you want to maintain healthy teeth and gums. Actually, it is just as important as brushing and having regular dental checkups.

The goal of brushing and flossing is to prevent a buildup of plaque, which consists of a gummy mesh of saliva and bacteria that adheres to your teeth, especially along the gum line.  Brushing helps remove some of the plaque.  Flossing removes the rest of the plaque that hides in the tiny spaces between your teeth where your brush can’t reach.

Would you take a shower and not wash your upper body to save time?  Of course you wouldn’t.  Not flossing your teeth is similar to that.  You’re leaving a lot uncleaned.

It goes beyond being dirty though.  If you don’t floss, you allow plaque to build up between your teeth and harden into a substance called tartar.  These deposits above and below the gum line can lead to gingivitis.  If gingivitis remains untreated, it can lead to periodontitis, a more serious form of gum disease.

Periodontitis can ultimately lead to the destruction of the underlying bone and the loss of teeth.  It can also increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.  And it can increase a pregnant woman’s risk of delivering her baby prematurely. So, every step should be taken to prevent this process from occurring and damaging one’s health.

How should I floss?
Here are a few tips for quick and effective flossing.

1. Use about a foot of floss: Wrap the floss around one finger of each hand.  Hold the floss taut between the thumb and forefinger.
2. Use a gentle sawing motion: As you go along the side of one tooth, use a gentle sawing motion. When you reach the gum line, gently slide the floss between the tooth and gum.  Then pull the floss out far enough to do the same against the tooth facing it.  Then repeat the process between each pair of teeth.
3. Floss all your teeth: Don’t forget to floss all your teeth, even the far side of your rearmost teeth.

If you are new to flossing you might experience some mild bleeding of the gums the first few times that you do it.  This isn’t a sign that you’re doing it wrong or that you shouldn’t floss.  Rather, this is a sign that your gums are inflamed and in need of flossing to remove the plaque between your teeth.  Once you have been flossing regularly, the plaque will disappear and you shouldn’t bleed anymore when you floss.

So, take the time to floss daily.  It really is just as important as brushing your teeth.  Just remember, if you don’t take care of your teeth, the bacteria will.  And you will not be happy with the results of their efforts.  So, floss daily and you can smile with pride.  Otherwise, no teeth for you!