Archive for January, 2010

Jan
14

Why Harsh, Chemical Teeth Whiteners Cause More Harm Than Good

Posted under Probiora3, Teeth Whitening by Oragenics

Whiten Your Teeth Naturally With Probiora3

Why Harsh, Chemical Whiteners Cause More Harm Than Good

Over-the-counter whitening products have given a big boost to the dental care products industry in the past 10 years. Consumers view white teeth as the healthy standard tanned skin used to enjoy.

As with any other over-the-counter product, consumers are prone to thinking that if teeth whitening products are available without a prescription, then they are completely safe to be used however they see fit.

OTC Tooth Whitening Products Not Without Side Effects

While tooth whitening products may be effective at temporarily whitening teeth, they are not without side effects, the most common being tooth sensitivity.  Many who use OTC whiteners also suffer gum irritation after using the products.

Those teeth whitening side effects certainly aren’t impacting the popularity of OTC products, as sales of these products continue to soar. But consumers who have used the products and had less-than-satisfactory results continue to look for a healthier alternative with no side effects.

A Safe, 100% Natural Way to Whiten Teeth

Dr. Jeffery Hillman, who began his basic research into the concept of using probiotics to improve oral health in the late 1970’s at the Harvard-affiliated Forsyth Institute in Boston has now created a blend of probiotics proven to support tooth and gum health, freshen breath and gently white teeth. This blend, called ProBiora3 is a great addition to toothpastes, children’s products, mints, gums, dissolvable strips, dairy confections and even pet products!

The blend of probiotics in ProBiora3 continuously releases, as a natural by-product, a low-dose of hydrogen peroxide for gentle whitening effects that remain active all day. The hydrogen peroxide also adds to the breath-freshening value of ProBiora3.

The patent-pending ProBiora3 blend of probiotics takes oral products to a whole new level!

Jan
12

Connection Between Diabetes and Periodontal Disease

Posted under Oral Care, Oral Health Care, Periodontal Disease by Oragenics

Sudden Changes in Oral Health?
Diabetes Could be to Blame

If you once enjoyed pristine oral health but suddenly see dramatic changes in your teeth and gums, it might be time to check your blood sugar.

According to the September 2002 edition of the Journal of the American Dental Association, when diabetes is not properly controlled, high glucose levels in your saliva may provide fuel for harmful bacteria.

In fact, changes in oral health may be one of the very first indicators of diabetes.

Not only that, diabetes reduces the body’s ability to fight infections. According to the JADA, the gums are among the tissues likely to be affected by this reduced immune health. Periodontal diseases are infections of the gum and bone that hold your teeth in place.

Periodontal disease often is linked to the control of diabetes. For example, patients with inadequate blood sugar control appear to develop periodontal disease more often and more severely, and they lose more teeth than do people who have good control of their diabetes.

Researchers report that these study results are important because they show periodontal disease as the first clinical complication of diabetes mellitus (the children and adolescents with diabetes mellitus did not have evidence of other clinical complications of diabetes mellitus) and demonstrate a relationship between poor long-term metabolic control and periodontal manifestations of diabetes mellitus.

Further, researchers have found that the relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes may actually go both ways – periodontal disease may make it more difficult for people who have diabetes to control their blood sugar.

Severe Periodontal Disease Can Increase Blood Sugar

This puts diabetics at increased risk for diabetic complications. Thus, diabetics who have periodontal disease should be treated to eliminate the periodontal infection.

This recommendation is the result of a study reported in the Journal of Periodontology in 1997 involving 113 subjects diagnosed with diabetes and periodontal disease. The study found that when their periodontal infections were treated, the management of their diabetes markedly improved.