How to Choose between Toothpastes?

After years of using this ‘particular’ brand of fluoride enriched toothpaste, I had grown weary of the taste and routine. So, off I went to the local convenience store, and with nearly half an hour spent reading through ingredients, it finally dawned on me, ‘I am just utterly clueless about this’. With nearly a hundred of brands and thousands of products to choose from, toothpaste shopping is not as simple as it may seem. However, most pastes can be narrowed down into four broad categories explains a dentist in Chino Hills, California, “Patients choose pastes based on taste, active agents and strengthening properties. Four major types would include whitening, anti-bacterial, sensitivity and cavity protection pastes. The idea here is to choose a paste that suits your teeth and helps you maintain a healthy brushing routine.”

Whitening Toothpaste:

One of the most popular choices, the whitening toothpaste helps you remove teeth stains and maintain a bright, beautiful smile. Most of these toothpastes include peroxide, the same ingredient used by dentists while bleaching. “Some tooth pastes also use abrasive agents that scrub away at the tooth surface. However, prolonged use of such pastes (or gels) may damage the tooth enamel,” explains the dentist in Chino Hills. It is important to use a paste that helps whiten and protect your teeth. A lot of patients opt for baking soda (plus fluoride) paste, a cheaper and safer alternative.

Anti-Bacterial Toothpaste:

Patients suffering from gum problems are often advised to use an anti-bacterial toothpaste containing triclosan. This anti-bacterial agent has made its way to multiple household products including soaps, deodorants, detergents and mouthwashes, however its effectiveness and safety is still under review by the FDA. “Patients suffering from gum disease may opt for a paste including pyrophosphates and zinc citrate. Coupled with chemical compounds these pastes can help control tartar and gum irritation,” explains a Walnut dentist from California.

Sensitivity Protection Toothpaste:

Patients suffering from heightened tooth sensitivity may opt for sensitivity protection pastes. Hypersensitivity may occur due to receding gums or damaged enamel, making it difficult for the patient to consume anything that’s hot or cold. “Strontium chloride and potassium nitrate are two common ingredients used in sensitivity protection pastes. These help block the stimuli reaching the roots through the porous (dentin) surface,” explains the dentist in Chino Hills.

Cavity Protection Toothpaste:

Fluoride enriched toothpastes have been known to protect the tooth from decay. The naturally occurring mineral helps strengthen the tooth enamel and in some case can restore acidic damage through re-mineralization. “Tooth decay is the most common dental problem today. However, the fluoridation process has helped reduce incidence to a great extent,” explains the Walnut dentist while commenting on the use of fluoride in water supply.

Oral Bacteria and Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is very prevalent today, most us know several people who suffer from this illness. It’s a disease in which the immune system attacks the spinal cord and the brain. Multiple sclerosis causes muscles to weaken, difficulty in moving, speaking and several other painful neurological symptoms that make living difficult. But what’s the link between dental health and multiple sclerosis? The Diamond Bar Dental agencies have sufficient studies which suggest that oral bacteria can contribute to multiple sclerosis. It is important to mention that it is not just any oral bacteria, it is Porphyromas gingivalis which is commonly present in our bodies. Porphyromas gingivalis is a unique lipid which develops the inflammatory responses. Research indicated that the phosphorylated DHCs bacteria, found in humans does increase the severity of multiple sclerosis.

People with the phosphorylated DHCs bacteria will often experience extreme symptoms of multiple sclerosis, which will require a different or severe kind of treatment. Unfortunately, this research as yet to be further validated, to come up with an appropriate treatment for people to follow. Scientist have yet to understand the exact effects that oral bacteria has on the immune system cells, moreover they also have to identify where and how the lipids are stored in the different body tissues. Apart from increasing or triggering multiple sclerosis, the Diamond Bar Dental agency discovered that specific oral bacteria has the ability to cause multiple sclerosis activity as well.

Once the researches confirm the link between oral bacteria and multiple sclerosis the need to maintain proper dental hygiene will be a lot more focused on than it is now. Multiple sclerosis is a life changing condition, thus its prevention and treatment is to be taken seriously. With such research, the dentists in Diamond Bar now run various tests on their patients to ensure that the oral bacteria that causes multiple sclerosis is under control.