The answer is: only to a limited extent. Teeth whitening gums will whiten your teeth but can’t replace a toothbrush and toothpaste. In 2007, Good Housekeeping actually performed a test with teeth whitening gums in which they had individuals chew one of six gums four times a day for six weeks. After that six week period, the best of the gums had only lightened teeth up to one shade. By comparison, whitening strips and trays lightened teeth up the three shades after two weeks of use, twice per day. The best whitening solutions, the study found, were in-office teeth whitening treatments and Crest Night Effects which could each lighten teeth five shades.

If you’re going to chew gum anyways, however, teeth whitening brands can’t hurt. Teeth whitening gums can be helpful in two ways. First, they do contain ingredients which fight against stains and remineralize tooth enamel. Second, like all gums, teeth whitening gums induce salivation. Your natural saliva contains amounts of calcium and phosphate which remineralize teeth and keep stains from ever occurring.

The best way to fight tooth discoloration, however, is prevention. Drinks such as coffee, red wine and sugary sodas are known to cause tooth discoloration. Instead of drinking three cups of coffee per day, consider substituting one or two with hot tea. Additionally, daily dental care will go a long ways towards keeping teeth white. When plaque builds up on or between teeth, it weakens the enamel and exposes the tooth surface to discoloring agents. Brushing two times per day and flossing at least once prevents plaque from cementing onto teeth.

Lastly, the dentist is your best friend when it comes to teeth whitening. Bi-annual dental appointments keep teeth fresh and plaque-free. Dental hygienists clean teeth thoroughly and can identify potential problems long before they occur. Remember, the better dental hygiene you keep throughout your life, the brighter yours smile will be for years to come.

If you’re due for a dental appointment, contact Culebra North Dental Care today. 

• Invest in a few teething rings. Many babies find that chewing on a cold, hard toy eases the pain from teeth erupting.
• When your baby is particularly fussy, give him or her a child-strength pain reliever. This will also help to lower a fever from teething, if necessary. Baby Orajel and similar products will also lessen the pain.
• Encourage your baby to eat. Many parents find that their child loses his or her appetite while teething, because pressure makes the gums more sensitive. Offer soft foods or a bottle.

If you have any questions about your child’s oral health, you should contact Culebra North Dental Care today.

According to the study, student sugar-intake in schools that ban soda machines is the very same as in schools that don’t ban soda machines. Getting rid of soda machines in schools has apparently had no effect at all on child or adolescent health.

Banning soda machines in many school districts was seen as a first step towards combating child obesity. By taking soda out of the schools, the idea was that children would turn towards healthier options. The new study reports that this wasn’t the actual outcome. Researchers looked at 7,000 fifth and eighth grade students spread across 40 different states from the year 2004 to 2007. The proportion of students who purchased sugary drinks at school with soda bans—28.9 percent—was actually higher than those without any soda bans—26 percent. And both groups had equal access to sugary beverages at school—67 percent.

Turns out, kids just began substituting sodas for apparently healthier options such as Gatorade and Snapple. Gatorade and other sugary non-sodas are often considered healthy alternatives to Coke and Pepsi. But in truth, Gatorade has massive amounts of sugar. A 20 oz Gatorade bottle contains 34 g of sugar. On the other hand, a 20 oz bottle of Coca Cola has 65g of sugar. While clearly a better choice, Gatorade still isn’t “healthy.”

The study made another surprising finding, however. In the schools that had banned all sugary drinks (Gatorade included) students were somehow consuming just as many sugary drinks as students in schools without bans. The bans didn’t stop students from buying sugary drinks, they just stopped students from buying them in school. Outside of school, Coca Cola, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper were as available and cheap as ever.

Though the bans were aimed at curbing childhood obesity, they were also supposed to have a side effect of reducing childhood tooth decay. The bans’ lacking effect means that both of these health issues will need to be addressed in a broader manner than simply removing sodas in schools. Addiction to sugary substances is a societal problem which we all need to be aware of and work to fix in ourselves and others.  

If you’re concerned about your sugar intake and would like to meet with a dentist to discuss your oral health, you should contact Culebra North Dental Care today.

We’re kidding, of course. While the ADA Golden Apple Awards are real and in their 24^th year of existence, there is no Golden Apple awards ceremony and James Franco hasn’t taken time out of his schedule to MC.

That’s not to say that an awards ceremony wouldn’t be welcomed. If any Golden Apple organizers are reading this, we want an award ceremony with champagne and a celebrity host. Celebrity, obviously, is a relative term. The ADA president will do. Or Regis Philbin.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Golden Apples, here’s a brief overview: The Golden Apples were founded in 1988 to recognize the outstanding work of various dental associations across the nation. Competition categories include: Excellence in Dental Health Promotion to the Public, Excellence in Dentist Well-Being Activities, Excellence in Membership Recruitment and Retention Activity, and our favorite, the Green Apple award for Excellence in Environmentally Sustainable Programs and Education. In each category there are two awards. One is for dental societies with total membership of more than 1,000 dentists and another for those societies with less than 1,000 dentists.

Last year had some pretty interesting award winners. One of the Legislative Achievement awards went to the Vermont State Dental Society for their “Successful Opposition to a Governor’s Proposed Provider Tax on Dental Services.” In the Excellence in Dental Health Promotion to the Public category, the Indiana Dental Association won for the “Drinks Destroy Teeth” campaign. The award for Excellence in Membership Retention went to the Nassau and Suffolk County Dental Socieites’ female-focused “Scrubs and Stilettos.” The Fort Worth District Dental Society was the only Texas group to win an award. They were honored with an Excellence in Access to Dental Care Programs for their “Save a Smile” submission.

The Golden Apples might not be featured on television, but they do honor the hard work which state and local dental societies do every year. Dentists don’t need a fancy red carpet or golden statues or international fame or even James Franco. You hear that James Franco, we don’t need you! We’re just happy knowing that we’ve done a good job promoting American oral health.

(James Franco if you happen to read this, you should know we didn’t mean what we said. We love your movies. Even Spider-Man 3. Contact us. Please!) 

The male vocal group GReeeeN was founded by four dental students in 2004 and broke onto the Japanese music charts in 2008 and 2009 with their melodic pop ballads “Kiseki” and “Ashiato.” They’ve won two Japan Gold Disk Awards and two Japan Record Awards (including Best Album). Their second album A, Domo. Ohisashiburi Desu went double platinum in 2008 according to Record Industry Association of Japan.  The next year, their greatest hits album Ima Made no A Men, B Men Dest!? was certified triple platinum. Needless to say, GReeeeN has been widely successful.

Despite GReeeeN’s popularity, however, the identities of the band members are still unknown. This isn’t any Hannah Montana gimmick act either—these guys are seriously secretive about maintaining their anonymity. At first, one of the founding members said that the group would make a public appearance after they passed their dental examinations. But in 2009, the band indicated that they would remain anonymous in order to keep fame from interfering with their dentistry careers.

Even if we can’t see their faces, we can still enjoy their music. The band hasn’t released an album since 2009, but a number of singles in 2011 made it onto the charts. The group’s newest single “Orenji” is due out on April 25.

Nine-year old Jeremy Lott was one of those affected by the price drop and says that he doesn’t see why the Tooth Fairy is being so stingy. “The amount I received from the Tooth Fairy fell from $2.50 to $2.00 in the past two years,” he said “And that’s completely unacceptable. Sharing is a value instilled in kids from an early age. How can we be expected to share the swings at recess if the imaginary figures that we look up to aren’t being generous with us?”

Though no official report has been issued on the activities of other gift-giving, imaginary characters, there have been some recent complaints about decreases in Easter bunny candy. Susannah Thomas, a six-year old from Verdigree, Nebraska, told us that she had most certainly received less candy this year. “Last year, there were four chocolates per egg. This year, I was lucky if I got two.” When asked if the smaller amount was perhaps the Easter Bunny’s response to her three cavities in the last year, Susannah said, “My parents mentioned the same thing. But I just don’t see how the Easter bunny obtained access to my dental records. If he did somehow, I’ll be seeking legal counsel.”

Past cases have shown that imaginary figures can be held accountable for their actions. In 2009, right after the beginning of the recession, a boy from Cleveland filed suit against Santa Claus over finding the wrong type of candy in his stocking. “I don’t like Peanut M&Ms,” said Antonio Flores. “My mom likes Peanut M&Ms but I don’t. It doesn’t make any sense to me. I wasn’t naughty all year. I even washed my plate after every dinner.” The case was dropped, however, when it became apparent that Antonio’s mother had played some role in the mix-up.

At present, no legal action has been taken against the Tooth Fairy. But that hasn’t stopped Jeremy Lott who has been relentlessly campaigning against the Tooth Fairy since the Visa study came out. “The Tooth Fairy needs to know that we are watching and we won’t put up with this.” So far Jeremy has collected over fifty signatures on a petition urging federal legislative action. Government officials who have seen the petition, however, caution that some of the names might be forgeries. “We have no records of anyone named Loo-Loo Bear or Mr. Rumples,” said an official who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the subject matter.

“I know what they’re saying,” said Jeremy, “but I’m not going to quit. This is about my rights as an American child to receive just compensation for my baby teeth. This isn’t over by a long shot.” 

Rudimentary mouthguards were first used in late 19^th century boxing rings. British dentist Woolf Krause fitted boxers’ upper teeth with strips of a rubber resin called gutta percha in order to protect their mouths from particularly tough facial blows. In the early 1900s a number of British and American dentists began manufacturing reusable and custom fitted mouthguards for boxers. The new guards were used in professional matches in the 1920s yet many considered them an unfair advantage.

As time continued, however, mouthguards became more and more popular with athletes. Since 1960, the American Dental Association has advocated mouthguard usage in all contact sports. In 1962, mouthguards became mandatory for high school football players and in 1973 the NCAA instituted the same rule for college teams.

Today, mouthguards are suggested for sports such as baseball, wrestling, lacrosse, basketball and hockey. Not all mouthguards are made equal, however.

• Stock-made mouthguards can be found in most sporting goods stores yet can offer little to no protection if not adjusted properly to fit the user’s mouth.
• The “boil and bite” mouthguard comes in a preformed shape yet can be heated and molded to closely fit the wearer’s mouth. It offers adequate protection and is much more comfortable than the stock-made option.
• The custom-made mouthguard is fashioned from dental impressions taken at a dentist’s office. It’s the most comfortable model and offers the most protection. However, most amateur athletes choose the “boil and bite” due to its reduced cost.

If you would like to get the advice of one of our dentists about mouthguards, contact Culebra North Dental Care today. 

So what is the cinnamon challenge? Well essentially it’s when you try to swallow an entire spoonful of cinnamon powder without using water and without spitting it up. Of course, most people do spit it up, which is what makes the challenge so entertaining. Recently people have been posting videos of themselves on YouTube undertaking the cinnamon challenge and then coughing up clouds of cinnamon powder while their friends laugh in the background. A woman named GloZell is a particularly popular cinnamon challenge contestant, racking up over 10 million views on her video in which she tries to swallow a ladle of cinnamon powder.

Cinnamon Challenge Health Risks

But the cinnamon challenge isn’t all fun and games according to some parents, school administrators and medical experts. Doctors are warning that the extreme coughing inherent in the cinnamon challenge could lead to inflammation and scarring in the lungs. A teen girl in Ann Arbor, Michigan was actually hospitalized after undertaking the challenge and suffering a collapsed right lung. In response, several schools across the nation have sent home advisories to parents warning them about the dangers of the challenge and urging them to talk to their kids.

As word spread, a number of major news sources such as USA Today and the Wall Street Journal picked up the story and began calling attention to the health risks. But all the bad press hasn’t really seemed to hurt the challenge but instead expanded its audience base. Whereas a week ago the cinnamon challenge was relegated to just a handful of YouTube fans, now GloZell and other challenge contestants have picked up viewers (and perhaps more copycats) from the nation’s largest news outlets.

Our Thoughts on the Cinnamon Challenge

Here at Culebra North Dental Care, we don’t recommend the cinnamon challenge for anyone. Cinnamon powder causes dry mouth, making swallowing a dangerous and probably impossible task. Moreover, straight cinnamon powder causes an intense burning sensation which, besides being extremely uncomfortable, can bring about harmful fits of coughing.

If you’re thinking about eating cinnamon, mix it with some sugar and use it in a recipe. If you’re wondering about the health aspects of similar challenges or have concerns about the healthiness of other foods, contact Culebra North Dental Care today.   

Five years ago the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study on overall American oral health and found, to the surprise of many, that preschoolers actually had more cavities than in the previous decade. The increase was even more shocking since childhood cavities had been on a steady decline since the 1970s.

Still more frightening is the fact that this trend is probably growing even worse. The dentists interviewed for the Times article agreed that they were treating more and more preschool patients with severe dental decay. And since little kids are unlikely to sit through lengthy and uncomfortable procedures, these dentists reported that they often have to resort to sedating young patients with general anesthesia. While most children undergoing general anesthesia suffer few side effects, some rare cases have resulted in brain damage and even death.

An alternative to general anesthesia are anti-anxiety drugs to relax the child coupled with a local anesthesia to reduce pain. However, even this option isn’t without health risks such as difficulty breathing. Some parents have opted to skip any sedating drugs and just have dentists administer the same local anesthesia that would be used for adults. This method, however, can be traumatic for many kids and result in a lifelong fear of the dentist’s office.

The best treatment, of course, is prevention. Severe childhood teeth decay is most often the result of lazy parenting. Parents should be aware of what their kids are eating and drinking. Juice drinks sold for kids are often full of sugar and should always be consumed in moderation. Snacking should be limited to specific times of the day and only in predetermined portions.

Kids should begin seeing the dentist at around one-years old and keep going back for regular appointments after that. Moreover, parents need to take an active approach to brushing their children’s teeth at home. Brushing should begin as soon as the first teeth appear. Many stores sell soft baby toothbrushes as well as sweet-flavored toothpaste that kids won’t entirely hate.

If you are concerned about your child’s oral health or need to set up a dental appointment for him or her call or contact Culebra North Dental Care today.

According to Catholic theology, Saint Apollonia is the patron saint of dentists and those with dental problems. As the story goes, Apollonia was a young woman living in Alexandria during the 3^rd century AD. Around the year 249 the city was holding festivities celebrating the first millenary of the Roman Empire. The festivities soon grew out-of-hand, however, and resulted in mob violence directed against Christians. One mob, in particular, seized Apollonia and beat her so severely that they broke all the teeth in her mouth. They then built a great fire and threatened to throw her in it if she refused to utter impious words. But seizing on a chance opportunity Apollonia actually threw herself in the fire and was consumed.

She was deemed a martyr by the Catholic Church and made a saint around the year 300. Over time the story of her broken teeth grew to such prominence that she became the patron saint of everyone with toothache or dental troubles.  In art she is often pictured with a set of pincers and a tooth.  

If you’re going for more serious dental surgery, however, you may also want to put in a quick word with Saint René Goupil, the patron saint of anesthesiologists. René was a Jesuit missionary born in France but who served in Quebec, Canada as a surgeon (thus the anesthesiology). In 1642, however, he was captured by a group of Iroquois and tortured for a number of weeks while they transported him back to their own country in New York. He was martyred with a tomahawk on September 23^rd but not canonized until 1930.

Hopefully your dentist doesn’t need divine intervention to give you a filling or put on a crown. But just in case… remember Saint Apollonia and Saint René, and give thanks for dentistry and the discovery of the anesthetics that make modern dental care at San Antonio’s Culebra North Dental so easy.