February 11, 2011
In this free, February 5th audio podcast from Ben and Jessa Greenfield:
-The fluoride controversy and what it means for you and your family
-The tainted history of fluoride
-Why fluoride is added to toothpaste and water
-Whether fluoride is actually healthy
-How to make your own fluoride-free toothpaste
-What to use for a fluoride water filter
-How to get kids to brush their teeth
-Exercise and divorce, and what to do if you struggle with the same family and workout problems from this article from the Wall Street Journal
Hey Ben,
Thanks for your additional comments. As for your question about higher levels of H2O2, like I mentioned, I don't recommend using H2O2 because people tend to overuse it (keep it in the mouth too long, use it too frequently) for whitening effects and it irritates the gingival tissues when used this way. Most H2O2 you find in drugstores is a lower-percentage H2O2, usually 3%, which in clinical tests is too low a percentage to actually whiten the teeth.
Dental whitening agents use between 15% (for professionally-supervised home trays) and 35% (for in-clinic application) H2O2. I'm not sure if these higher percentages are available OTC in drugstores, but if they are, I would not recommend using them. The home treatments given with a higher amount of H2O2 are used with custom-made trays that are designed to fit the exact dentition and not enter the gingival tissue area, minimizing the risk of damaging other oral tissues. I recommend any patient discusses whitening options with their dental professional before attempting it at home.
Also, patients with restorations in the front of the mouth, such as tooth-colored composites, should be aware that whitening does not whiten restorations. Thus, if you whiten your teeth, the natural teeth will be brighter and the restorations will remain their original shade, which will look very wrong esthetically. Patients with anterior restorations who want to whiten must be willing to have all anterior restorations replaced around 2 weeks after the natural-tooth whitening is complete.
Take care! ~Emily
This discussion is interesting and timely, as the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada has recently decided to remove flouride from the water supply. City council voted 10-3 for this decision – it's good to see that they saw this as pretty much a no-brainer to do. I'll be sure to pass on this podcast to anyone in Calgary that doubts this decision. Thanks, Greenfields!
Glycerine isn't good for your teeth either. I use Dr bronner's peppermint soap for my teeth.