The Facts About Dental Implants

Community Forums Are Now Live!

Holistic Dental Forums — Free Registration!

As of this writing, our website — NaturalDentistry.us — has more than 600 comments. That’s a lot of comments for a dental practice website. In addition to all the comments, we also get more than 50 questions submitted through the website contact forms every week and about that many phone calls every DAY.

What does it all mean? It means that our small, two doctor holistic dental practice in San Diego gets a lot of questions… more than we can respond to promptly and still maintain good customer service to our patients (we are typically booked about a month in advance for new patients).

That’s why we are excited to announce the first ever community forum dedicated to alternative dentistry: www.DrMarvin.com

Registration for DrMarvin.com is FREE. It provides a community forum where you can find answers to your questions, ask questions of the group, ask questions of the doctors (not just our doctors, but other doctors as well!), and get all the information you need and want about natural, biological, holistic dentistry and your health.

Check it out today. A few topics on the board as of this writing include:

• Best Alternative for Fillings
• Replacing missing teeth
• What’s Your Favorite Toothbrush?
• Alternatives to Fluoride
• root canal or extraction
• And so much more!

If you are not already registered for your free account, sign up today and help us grow this amazing community resource!

Thanks,
Dr. Marvin

PS: For those of you who have been trying to purchase BreathDR mouthwash on our website, we FINALLY have our store up and running again. You can find it at http://drmarvin.com/index.php?/store/

Dried Licorice Root Eliminates Bacteria That Cause Tooth Decay and Gum Disease

Research on dried licorice root released in January, published in ACS’s Journal of Natural Products, reports that two of compounds found in licorice, licoricidin and licorisoflavan A, may play a significant role in “treating and preventing tooth decay and gum disease.”

Stefan Gafner and his team of researchers point out that the dried root of the licorice plant is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, especially as a way to enhance the activity of other herbal ingredients, or as a flavoring. And herbalists and alternative health practitioners have long known of the many benefits of licorice including; to relieve respiratory ailments such as bronchitis, colds, coughs, congestion, sore throat, and allergies. In addition, it is used for stomach ailments including heartburn from reflux, inflammatory issues, skin conditions (eczema and psoriasis), minor skin infections, and liver problems.

The leading cause of tooth loss is gum disease and tooth decay which is best managed by good oral hygiene practices and regular trips to the dentist, but the discovery of the antibacterial properties of dried licorice root now offers an additional way to stave off these dental health issues. Before using the dried licorice root it is best to take stock of any other prescription drugs you may be using as it has been known to have adverse effects when used with certain prescription drugs.

Glycyrrhizin, one of the more common components found in licorice, has long been believed to contribute to its many therapeutic properties. Additional substances that have been identified in licorice include compounds called flavonoids and various plant estrogens (phytoestrogens). But to test whether the root could combat specific bacteria that cause gum disease and cavities, the researchers focused on the licorice compounds called licoricidin and licorisoflavan A, which tested as the most effective antibacterial substances. Together, these substances killed two of the major bacteria responsible for dental cavities and two of the bacteria that promote gum disease while the substance licoricidin honed in on and killed a third gum disease bacterium. The researchers also indicate that these substances could treat and quite possibly prevent oral infections.

For a list of precautions visit the Herb Library, and/or consult with your physician before taking licorice root supplements.

Chocolate Toothpaste… The Natural Alternative to Fluoride?

Theodent™ Toothpaste with Rennou™-- a Natural Alternative to Fluoride

If you were told you could brush your teeth with chocolate, would you do it? What if you were told that it was a natural alternative to fluoride? Well, we are not quite to that point yet, but we’re getting close: a new toothpaste purports to strengthen tooth enamel naturally by using — what else? — an extract from cocoa.

Theodent™ toothpaste claims to increase “the size of the surface unit crystals of your enamel by four times. Larger unit crystals make your teeth less susceptible to bacterial acid de-mineralization and keep your teeth healthy and robust.” (http://www.theodent.com/faq.html)

Research on the extract has been ongoing since the 1980′s, when clinical studies discovered a cocoa extract was beneficial in fighting cavities. It became more publicized when Arman Sadeghpour used the research as part of his doctoral thesis at Tulane University. Sadeghpour compared the effects of cocoa extract and fluoride on tooth enamel, discovering that cocoa extract can strengthen and enlarge the crystals that make up the tooth, resulting in stronger enamel.

Now Theodent™ toothpaste, utilizing a proprietary blend of the cocoa extract, is coming to the market. It will first be available on their website (http://www.theodent.com/) and at select Whole Foods locations. The toothpaste doesn’t actually taste like chocolate; it is mint-flavored. But developers hope to expand the Theodent line to include dental floss, mouthwash and, yes, a chocolate-flavored, sugar-free toothpaste for children.

What’s our take? I’m always willing to try new natural toothpastes. To be honest, it’s very difficult to make an effective natural toothpaste that is right for everyone (just look at some of the research we’ve done: What’s the Best Toothpaste?). We will be getting a few bottles soon and I will do some biocompatibility testing to see how this new “chocolate” toothpaste works with the majority of our patients. Stay tuned for  follow-up article on Theodent™ in the not-too-distant future.

The Toxic Effects of the Mercury in Dental Amalgam Fillings on the Environment and Human Health

The following document — “THE TOXIC EFFECTS OF THE MERCURY IN DENTAL AMALGAM FILLINGS ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH” — is a fact sheet prepared by The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (www.iaomt.org).

It’s one of the most detailed looks you’ll see on the hazards of the mercury in amalgam fillings on both our health and the environment and a pretty good list of reasons to ban mercury fillings in America.

If you have any questions about whether mercury fillings are bad, this paper should provide most of the reasons for you, along with several pages of supporting research for those who want or need more information.

I encourage you to print it out and share it with your family, friends, and loved ones. Share it with your doctor. Share it with anyone who doubts the dangers of silver fillings and anyone who craves more information than they typically have access to.

Thank you to the IAOMT for making this available and for helping to better educate us all.