Have You Heard of Oral Care Probiotics?

When Someone Asks…

Have You Heard of Oral Care Probiotics?

Our bodies are homes to thousands of bacteria. Many of those bacteria simply live in and on our bodies because they are simply a convenient environment in which to live. Some of the bacteria in and on our bodies can be harmful (think of skin infections) while still others are beneficial (think of how bacteria in the gut are said to aid in digestion).

Probiotics are live microbial organisms that are naturally present throughout the body. They are often referred to as “beneficial” or “good” bacteria. Because there are bacterial colonies throughout the body, there are different types of probiotics to support good health.

Oral Care Probiotics

There has been much media attention given to the effectiveness of probiotics of to assist in digestion. So, too, are there probiotics that can help support gum and tooth health by competing with harmful bacteria for both nutrients and space in the mouth. In doing so, oral care probiotics also help eliminate the bacteria that creates the volatile sulfur compounds responsible for bad breath.

Oral care probiotics are available in the convenient, easy-to-use, travel-friendly form of mints to be taken twice per day after brushing. Called EvoraPlus, these probiotic mints are available at many major retailers and online.

EvoraPlus also offers a completely safe and natural way to gently whiten teeth to their maximum potential by producing a byproduct of a continuous low dose of natural hydrogen peroxide. Because it is such a low dose of hydrogen peroxide, there are none of the negative side effects associated with using other over-the-counter whitening products, which instead employ high doses of harsh, chemical hydrogen peroxide.

EvoraPlus oral care probiotics offer a cutting edge solution for tooth and gum health, fresher breath and naturally whiter teeth.

Your Patient’s Bad Breath is Likely Caused by a Common Bacteria

Goodbye, Halitosis!

Your Patient’s Bad Breath is Likely Caused by a Common Bacteria

The human mouth is filled with hundreds of bacteria. Many of those bacteria are simply hanging out in the mouth because it’s a nice dark and wet place to live. A few of those bacteria, however, create a waste product called “volatile sulfur compounds” (VSCs) – the root cause of many cases of halitosis (bad breath).

The term “volatile” simply describes the fact that these compounds evaporate readily, even at normal temperatures. The extreme volatility of VSCs explains how these compounds have the ability to offend those around us, instantly.

A person’s mouth is home to  hundreds of different species of bacteria. And on going in our mouth, at all times, is a constant battle for living space between the types of bacteria which do create waste products that cause bad breath and those that don’t. And it is the precise balance between the relative numbers of these two different types of bacteria that will ultimately determine the quality of a person’s breath.

An accumulation of dental plaque creates the perfect conditions for VSC-causing bacteria to thrive on the surfaces of teeth and deep below the gum line. As more and more plaque builds up in a person’s mouth, the bacteria that cause bad breath gain available living space and proliferate, thus increasing the level of odor causing compounds that escape with each breath that is exhaled.

If brushing and flossing alone were enough to combat these VSC-causing bacteria, those who have pretty good dental habits should always have good breath. But bad breath is obviously not always the result of poor dental hygiene, and if antibacterial mouthwashes were the answer, then the same would be true – no one would ever have bad breath.

The true key to eliminating halitosis is to crowd out those VSC-causing bacteria. Probiotic oral care bacteria compete with the bacteria responsible for bad breath. By consuming the same nutrients as the bad-breath-causing bacteria and fighting with them for space on the surfaces of teeth and below the gum line, probiotics crowd out the smelly bacteria and make breath fresh around the clock.

Science at the Service of the Person

An Interview with Dr. Jeffrey Hillman of Oragenics

By Deacon Keith Fournier
5/14/2010
Catholic Online

In 2008 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the faith in the Catholic Church issued their instruction on the “Dignity of the Human Person.” It began with these words “The dignity of a person must be recognized in every human being from conception to natural death. This fundamental principle expresses a great ‘yes’ to human life and must be at the center of ethical reflection on biomedical research, which has an ever greater importance in today’s world.”

The instruction offers “…a word of support and encouragement for the perspective on culture which considers science an invaluable service to the integral good of the life and dignity of every human being. The Church therefore views scientific research with hope and desires that many Christians will dedicate themselves to the progress of biomedicine and will bear witness to their faith in this field. She hopes moreover that the results of such research may also be made available in areas of the world that are poor and afflicted by disease, so that those who are most in need will receive humanitarian assistance.”

As someone who believes deeply that the Catholic Church gives a great “Yes to Life” I am “on the lookout” for men, women and organizations who view science this way. One of the often repeated fallacies one reads in the media is that the Catholic Church opposes Stem Cell research. The truth is the Church opposes deadly stem cell research such as research on human embryos which always results in taking the life of the embryonic human person. It is immoral to take innocent human life even if one can then use parts of the human person who has been killed to develop a potential cure for another.

The Church wholeheartedly supports research on Adult Stem Cells and cells derived from fetal cord blood. Neither type of stem cell research results in the taking of innocent human lives. They also show tremendous promise! As an example of the encouragement of life affirming stem cell research, a spokesman for the Vatican recently made known their strong support for the research being conducted at the University Of Maryland School Of Medicine using adult stem cells.

As a father of five grown children and grandfather to six, I am well aware of the many needs involved in raising healthy children.  That includes their moral, emotional, spiritual and physical health. Of course, their physical health includes their oral hygiene. Research shows the connection between overall health and good oral hygiene.  As a 55 year old man who lost my father to heart disease, I am sensitized to that subject. I was surprised years ago to find the connection between oral and heart disease.

Dental disease is a quiet, yet growing, national epidemic.  New studies, including recently-published reports from the Mayo Clinic, confirm that periodontal disease and poor oral health are linked to heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and other illnesses.  American Dental Association studies show that three out of four of Americans are affected by periodontal disease at some point in their lives. My friend, Catholic Online’s own Dr. Denton, has taught me much about an integrative approach to health which respects the unity of the human person, body, soul and spirit. He has helped me understand the connection between overall health and what he calls “beautiful living.”

I recently became interested in the science of probiotics which respects the amazing curative qualities of our own body. There are both good and bad bacteria in our systems all the time. The good bacteria are the most effective way to minimize the damaging effects of the bad bacteria. We have seen the application of probiotics in the growing number of products, including yogurt, which promote overall digestive health.

Recently I read of an extraordinary application of probiotics in oral health. It was developed by Dr. Jeffrey Hillman, D.M.D., Ph.D. It is the result of more than 25 years of research which began at the Harvard-affiliated Forsyth Institute in Boston and continued at the University of Florida. The technology has only recently become available for the general public. It provides what is called Replacement Therapy for preventing dental caries or cavities.

I sought an interview with Dr. Hillman through a mutual friend. He gladly assented. I found this him to be humble, self effacing, approachable and genuinely committed to good science at the service of the human person and the common good. His academic and professional credentials are extraordinary. However, what really impressed me was his dedication to his work. He told me “People tend to take a simple approach to oral care in our culture. We think in terms of killing all of the bacteria that are present in the mouth. But it’s just not that simple; the human mouth contains many … types of bacteria, including some that are helpful to us.”

It made a lot of sense to me. As the interview progressed I saw the myriad of applications of the Doctor’s discovery. He holds over a dozen patents and has spent his career trying to alleviate suffering. He told me “tooth decay is the most common infectious disease in the world.” I had never really considered that fact. Now, every morning as I brush my teeth I think of it.

I was intrigued when the good Doctor told me he was inspired by Louis Pasteur. Like Pasteur, Dr. Hillman is serious about the potential of science to lessen human suffering. The faith of Pasteur drove his scientific genius toward the good. Above his tomb in the Pasteur Institute are engraved these words “Happy the man who bears within him a divinity, an ideal of beauty and obeys it; an ideal of art, and ideal of science, an ideal of country, and ideal of the virtues of the Gospel.” It is reported that Pasteur died with a rosary in his hand after listening to the life of St. Vincent de Paul.

Dr. Hillman was impressed with the scientists’ genuine humanism and Pasteur’s discovery that there are good bacteria which might one day be used to fight bad bacteria. Pasteur’s scientific discoveries have led to many scientific advances.  Dr. Hillman told me that his idea of expanding probiotic science, the use of good bacteria to combat the bad, in the arena of oral health care was “like a light bulb going off in my head.” He has dedicated over thirty years to this project.

His father told him “If we can succeed in preventing tooth decay we can apply it to other bacteria” and he set about to do just that. In our extensive interview he explained it to me, a non-scientist, in this very understandable way, “The human body is extraordinarily complex. There are 1,000 or more different types of bacteria. They don’t want to hurt us. We feed them, we clothe them, and we take them to the movies. There are relatively few bacteria which can hurt us. We are simply helping the body by improving on the marvelous design, to prevent them from doing so.”

Doctor Hillman has patented his discoveries and now makes it all available in a line of oral health care products for adults and children.  I also heard of the unique business relationship which has been entered into to distribute the products. The Florida-based biotechnology company Oragenics, Inc., (OTCBB:ORNI) and RICCI PHARMA, a recognized health products company with offices in Rome and Slovakia, have entered into a distribution agreement that the parties anticipate will provide Oragenics’ proprietary oral care probiotic products, EvoraPlus® and EvoraKids^TM, to RICCI PHARMA.

RICCI PHARMA will then  have exclusive distribution rights through Duc in Altum, a foundation whose humanitarian projects are inspired by the social teachings of the late Pope John Paul II. Duc in Altum’s honorary chairman is the Polish Pope’s former private secretary for over 30 years, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, currently Archbishop of Krakow. The foundation, whose projects are known by the Holy See and encouraged by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, is expected to further promote Oragenics’ products with the Church’s capillary network of health services.

When the interview ended I was happy to have discovered one more dedicated medical professional promoting science at the service of the human person and the common good.

Bad Breath Linked to Bacteria Responsible for Ulcers, Cancer

More Than Halitosis

Bad Breath Linked to Bacteria Responsible for Ulcers, Cancer

New research from Japan has found a link between bad breath and the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers and cancer.

The study, which was published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, revealed that the bacteria responsible for both stomach ulcers and cancer were found in the mouths of some people with halitosis.

Research has revealed that infection by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which is carried by more than 90 percent of people in the developing world and 20 to 80 percent of people in the developed world, was a possible cause of peptic ulcers and gastric cancers.

The more recent study produced by Dr Nao Suzuki from Fukuoka Dental College in Fukuoka, Japan and colleagues, suggested that the human mouth, which is home to hundreds different species of bacteria (some of which cause disease), is a possible reservoir for H. pylori, particularly in the presence of periodontal disease, a known cause of halitosis.

According to Suzuki, halitosis is common in humans and is mostly caused by gum disease, debris on the tongue and poor oral hygiene.

Suzuki and his colleagues tested patients complaining of halitosis for the presence of H. pylori, studying DNA scans of saliva taken from hundreds of citizens, many of whom had halitosis.

Of the participants 102 had periodontal disease, 16 percent of whom had H. pylori in their mouths.

These results led researchers to conclude that deep periodontal pockets and inflammation create favorable conditions for the growth of H. pylori bacteria.

This research means that patients with periodontal disease coupled with halitosis should be tested for H. pylori infection.

Stopping Halitosis at the Source

Stopping Halitosis at the Source

One of the primary complaints of patients in the chair is persistent halitosis, since bad breath makes for bad impressions.

Many people with bad breath rely on mints, gums and mouthwashes to help relieve unrelenting bad breath. Generally those methods fail and for good reason – mints, mouthwashes and gums simply mask the smell of bad breath, instead of addressing it at the root cause.

Halitosis is caused by bacteria in the mouth releasing volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs). These VSCs produced by bacteria can only be addressed at the microbial level. This is why many mouthwashes claim to stop bad breath – because they indiscriminately wipe out bacteria in the mouth. They don’t, however, halt the return of these bacteria. And once the bacteria return, so does the halitosis.

Why Flossing is Important

Flossing can help reduce the impact of halitosis by removing the pieces of food caught between teeth, and reducing the smell of those foods decaying. Flossing also helps remove some of the bacteria responsible for VOCs, but not the bacteria colonizing below the gum line.

Since brushing and flossing can’t remove the bacteria below the gum line, and mouthwashes offer temporary results at best, oral care probiotics may be the answer. These microscopic beneficial bacteria can reach where common tooth cleaning devices can’t, deep under the gum line where harmful, VSC-releasing bacteria prefer to colonize. In fact, the only thing that fits in those gingival crevicesis bacteria. That’s where oral care probiotics come in.

With EvoraPlus probiotic mints, dentists and hygienists finally have an answer to patients’ persistent halitosis.

Keeping Dentures and Retainers From Retaining Odors

Denture or Retainer Breath

Keeping Dentures & Retainers From Retaining Odors

Those who wear removable dentures or retainers must understand the importance of proper hygienic care as an important means of maintaining a healthy oral mucosa.

Denture and retainer cleanliness is often poor due to improper mechanical cleansing and the relative inefficiency of most commercial products for chemical cleansing. Dentists and patients should realize that microbial plaque on dentures may be harmful to both the oral mucosa and the patient’s general health.

It is the responsibility of the patient to maintain oral hygiene through a daily home care routine, but it is the obligation of the dentist to motivate and instruct the patient and provide the means and methods for plaque control.

Attack the Plaque

It’s a little known fact that plaque, tartar and bacteria can build up on retainers, mouth guards, dentures and aligners. Plaque, tartar and bacteria can populate any surface of the mouth, including the appliances used in the mouth. Keeping the plaque, tartar and bacteria in check can decrease the smells associated with any appliance used in the mouth.

Brush, Brush, Brush

Brushing after every meal is the first step in keeping dentures and retainers from holding onto the foul smell of particles of rotting food. Dentists and hygienists should ensure that denture and retainer wearers have solid brushing skills that remove the food particles that get stuck between the appliances and the teeth or gums. These particles feed the harmful bacteria in the mouth, the very same bacteria that is responsible for bad breath.

Balance Bacteria

Adding the ProBiora3 probiotic blend to oral care products, the beneficial bacteria pushes out the harmful bacteria known to make breath smelling. This probiotic blend is an easy way to ensure mouths smell fresh and clean.

Honing in on the Causes of Morning Breath

The many factors that contribute to bad breath in the morning

“How do I get rid of morning breath” is probably one of the most common questions dentists receive. It’s certainly no secret that patients are very unhappy with having bad breath at any point in the day, especially after they feel like they have tried every trick in the book to freshen their breath.

Caused by many things, bad breath can also be caused by the types of foods we eat.  Decaying particles of food between our teeth and the foul-smelling Volatile Sulfur Compounds (VSCs) released by harmful bacteria that inhabit the mouth.

How to Help Patients Overcome Morning Breath

There are many schools of thought on what might cause morning breath. Eating foods high in sulfur content is one way to spoil your breath for hours afterwards. Everyone knows – onion or garlic breath doesn’t simply brush away.

A Google search for an exact number of Americans who floss daily shows numbers ranging from only 2 percent up to 50 percent, so getting patients to floss to remove food particles from between teeth would go a long way toward improving morning breath.

Mouthwash – Helpful or Harmful?

Many patients who complain of morning breath note “I brush my teeth every night before bed, and I use a very strong mouthwash!”But sometimes the alcohol in mouthwash contributes to dry mouth, which, left overnight, can cause bad breath. Mouthwashes also tend to indiscriminately wipe out bacteria in the mouth, which can allow the bad bacteria a good opportunity to overpopulate while you snooze.Those bad bacteria tend to have an annoying byproduct, called Volatile Sulfur Compounds, which smell just as bad as they sound.

Perhaps the best way to keep morning breath in check is to introduce beneficial bacteria, or probiotics, into the mouth. These probiotics coat the teeth and around the gum line, competing directly with the stinky, morning-breath causing bacteria for tooth space and nutrients.

Simply allowing a probiotic mint to melt in your mouth after brushing your teeth each morning and evening can help minimize bad breath around the clock.

Can Tongue Scrapers Hold Up to Their Claims to Freshen Breath?

Is Tongue Scraping the True Answer To Fresher Breath?

Tongue scrapers have made quite a showing in the oral care market in recent years, claiming to put an end to bad breath . While they have been widely available for many years, it appears the increase in popularity has been fueled by no small part by information widely available on the Internet.

Marketers claim that by scraping the surface of the tongue, these devices eliminate bacteria, making the assumption that the bacteria on the tongue are the culprit for bad breath . However, like many products, their effectiveness has not been validated.

Bacteria Really Does Contribute to Bad Breath

Bad breath is generally an indication of bacterial imbalance in the entire mouth – between teeth, on the surfaces of the teeth, under the gums, and, yes, on the tongue. The answer to better breath is to ensure that the good bacteria in everywhere in the mouth outnumbers the bad bacteria responsible for the foul odor of bad breath.

Bacteria in the Mouth

The human mouth is home to between 700 – 800 bacteria. The mouth is a good home to bacteria, most of which thrive in warm, wet, dark places. Most of the bacteria are completely innocuous.  A few, however, are to blame for bad breath. These bacteria naturally emit volatile sulfur compounds as a byproduct. These VSCs are to blame for the vast majority of chronic bad breath conditions.

On the flip side, there are also beneficial bacteria that make their home in the human mouth. If you have chronic bad breath, you are likely lacking in the beneficial bacteria department.

Probiotics Combat Bad Breath

Probiotics are a staple in many cultures. Dr. Jeffrey Hillman, Chief Scientific Officer of Oragenics, Inc., has identified three strains of probiotics found in very healthy mouths – Streptococcus oralis (S. oralis KJ3™), Streptococcus uberis (S. uberis KJ2™) and Streptococcus rattus (S. rattus JH145™). Dr. Hillman has combined these probiotics to develop a probiotic mint that, when used twice daily after brushing, crowds out bad-breath-causing bacteria on all surfaces of the mouth – not just the tongue.