Tag Archives: DentistUSA.com

5 Alternatives To Toothpaste

10 Thursday Jan 2019

Posted by in Bad Breath, General Dentistry, Tooth Paste

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

The other morning, I was awoken by my dog licking my face. His hope was to get me to throw his ball at 6 in the morning. He is lucky he’s really cute. What was not cute? His breath. Which, in turn made me realize my breath wasn’t much better. So I moseyed on up to my bathroom sink and found that my wife had used the last of our toothpaste the night before. Sigh… What is a dragon to do?

What did people do before the invention of toothpaste? Well, toothpastes, in one form or another has been used for thousands of years. In fact, ancient Egyptians are believed to have started using a paste to clean their teeth around 5000BC. Well before the first toothbrush was invented.

In 1850 a more traditional paste in a jar was introduced call Crème Dentifrice. Colgate introduced the first toothpaste tub in the 1890’s. Pastes made before 1945 contained soap. I can only imagine kids cursed a lot more back then and this made it easier for their mothers to wash their mouths out. Today’s modern toothpastes are less harsh, have better flavors and are developed to help more specific diseases, such as tooth sensitivity and tartar. Leaving the washing of foul-mouths to bars of soap.

But what is one to do if there is no toothpaste?

Here are 5 alternatives to toothpaste if your significant other has used it all and you want to get rid of the awful breath you have:

  1. Baking Soda

Mix half a teaspoon of baking soda with a few drops of water to make a paste. Spread the paste over your teeth and let it sit for 2 minutes. Then brush your teeth like you normally would. Rinse the baking soda out of your mouth and you’re finished.

  1. Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen Peroxide is used as a natural teeth whitener. You can either use it as a rinse or make a paste by adding it to baking soda.

To make a rinse, mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide with water (½ cup hydrogen peroxide to ½ cup of water) and swish the concoction around your mouth for a minute. Try not to swallow any of the mixture.

To make a paste, mix a couple teaspoons of baking soda with a half-teaspoon of peroxide Mix together to make a paste and brush as normal. Thoroughly rise afterwards.

  1. Salt

Salt has long been used as an antibacterial and is an ingredient in a lot of toothpastes. Just dab your toothbrush in salt and brush. This can be a bit abrasive and is not recommended if you have sensitive teeth. You can also dilute the salt in water and use the solution to brush your teeth for a less abrasive paste.

  1. Coconut Oil

A lot of people think coconut oil is a healthy catchall. Others think it’s poison. Some people use it as an alternative to toothpaste by adding baking soda and essential oils, like mint. Figure out where you stand on coconut oil and then give it a try.

  1. Flossing and Dry Brushing

This is what I ended up doing. Of course I floss every night, as one should do. (And no, I do not mean the dance.) So I just grabbed some floss and got to work. Then I ran my toothbrush under water, brushed my teeth for the mandatory 2 minutes and then brushed my tongue.

My bad breath went away and I felt ready for my day of grocery shopping… for more toothpaste.

Advertisements

The Tooth Friendly Kitchen – Fall Carrot Soup

07 Wednesday Nov 2018

Posted by in General Dentistry, Smile, Tooth Friendly Recipe, What To Eat

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Fall is back! Leaves are changing, sweaters are coming out of storage and people are looking for that perfect recipe for their thanksgiving potluck. Lucky for them, the Tooth Friendly Kitchen is here to help! Our recipe for you thanksgiving feast is Carrot soup.

This fall favorite features, you guessed it, carrots! Chewing on raw carrots is great for your teeth. They act like natural toothbrushes and enhance saliva production to help prevent tooth decay and acid build up. Of course, we are making a soup so we will be cooking and blending the carrots. But feel free to buy extra carrots and cut them in to sticks. They make excellent snacks.

Besides carrots natural toothbrush abilities, they are chock full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Two of which will help that smile remain bright. Keratin helps to fight plaque, while vitamin A helps to strengthen tooth enamel. This soup is very easy to make, comforting on a cool fall evening and will add to any thanksgiving table.

Fall Carrot Soup

Ingredients

1 pound of carrots chopped

2 medium yellow onions diced

1 pound sweet potatoes chopped into 1 inch pieces

1 apple chopped into 1 inch pieces

8 cups chicken broth

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons manuka honey

2 teaspoons salt

Fresh cracked pepper to taste

 

Prepare

  1. Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent.

2. Add carrots, sweet potatoes and apples to the pot and stir to combine with the onions. Cook for 2 minutes, then add chicken broth and honey.

3. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes or until the veggies are nice and tender.

4. Take off the heat and cool for 10 mins, then transfer to a food processor or blender and puree the mixture until smooth.

5. Transfer smooth soup back into the pot and stir in salt and pepper.

Serve warm with a swirl of garlic oil or a spoon of crème fraiche, or both!

Dental Fun Facts

05 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by in DentistUSA.com, General Dentistry

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

I’ve been known to be a bit of a ‘trivia geek’. It’s a term I have been called many times (mostly without the trivia preface). To help expand my trivial knowledge, I have been studying up on some fun dental facts that I’m sure will end up on an episode of Jeopardy one day. So, if you’re looking to win a game show or just want to impress at your local bar’s next trivia night, read on. Hopefully one day, you’ll be answering Final Jeopardy, correctly.

 

The earliest known dentist was Hesi-ren, an Egyptian “doctor of the tooth” who lived around 3000 B.C.

The Romans used a mixture of bones, eggshells, oyster shells and honey to clean their teeth.

The first bristled toothbrush was made in China in 1498.

In the 1800s, blacksmiths and barbers also served as dentists.

The average toothbrush contains about 2500 bristles grouped into about 40 tufts per toothbrush.

There are more bacteria in your mouth than there are people on the Earth.

Cotton Candy was invented by a dentist and was originally called “fairy floss.”

During the middle ages, the customary cure for a toothache was to kiss a donkey.

Roughly 75% of school children worldwide have active dental cavities.

Kids miss 51 million school hours a year due to dental related illnesses.

Sports-related injuries account for approximately 5 million missing teeth per year.

Tooth enamel is the hardest structure in the human body.

Eating green veggies high in minerals, like broccoli, spinach and kale, will help strengthen the enamel on your teeth and help protect against stains.

According to the latest Original Tooth Fairy Poll, parents are leaving an average of $4.13 per tooth under their kids’ pillows.

In 2017, the Tooth Fairy paid out $271 million for lost teeth across the U.S.

The Tooth Fairy visits 84 percent of U.S. households with children.

In Mexico and other Latin countries, the job of the Tooth Fairy is performed by a mouse named, El Ratón Pérez.

A study done by Kelton on behalf of The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, found that Americans believe a smile is the one feature that will always remain the most attractive no matter how old we get. According to the study, 45% of those surveyed think that a person’s smile can defy the affects of aging while eyes come in a distant second at 34%.

The human tongue is like a fingerprint. No two people have the same tongue print.

A dentist named Alfred P. Southwick invented the Electric Chair.

The farmer in Grant Wood’s painting, “American Gothic” was actually the artist’s dentist.