Dry mouth, also called xerostomia, is a condition that can interfere with everyday activities, such as eating, talking or sleeping. Some common symptoms of dry mouth include:
Freedent, the first non-stick chewing gum, was introduced by the Wrigley Company in 1975. Freedent was developed for those who can’t chew regular gum due to dentures and dental work. As of 2010, Freedent is available in Canada, the U.S., France and New Zealand. Wrigley’s Freedent gum comes in peppermint and spearmint. The ingredients of both flavors are nearly identical; the only difference is the peppermint or spearmint oil used for flavoring. Continue reading
Inconsiderate users will simply dispose of their chewing gums
Chewing gum has been around since the time of ancient Greece, where people made a chewable substance from the resin of the mastic tree. Chewing gum has evolved over time to where it is now sold in a variety of types and flavors. Adults and children alike enjoy chewing gum, but while chewing gum can have its advantages, such as freshening breath, it can also have its disadvantages. Being aware of the detrimental effects of gum can help consumers make healthful decisions when next purchasing and planning on chewing gum. Continue reading
decayed teeth
Have a problem with tooth decay? Tooth decay or otherwise called caries has been a vast predicament that affects most dentate people. According to the United States Surgeon General’s report, caries is stated to be the most common chronic childhood disease of children aged 5 to 17 years and is five times more common than asthma and seven times more common than hay fever.
How does our tooth get caries?
Tooth decay is a demineralization process of hard tissues in our mouth that are contributed by four major factors namely bacterial microorganism, sugar (carbohydrates), tooth surface and time. Without this four factors decay would not occur. A community of haphazard collection of bacteria on your tooth is called plaque.
This bio film of plaque is capable of fermenting carbohydrate substrates (sugars like sucrose and glucose) and producing acid causing the plaque pH to fall below 5 within 1-3 minutes. Repeated falls in pH results in demineralisation of tooth surface and leads to carious lesion formed.
WHAT IS XYLITOL?
Xylitol is a naturally occurring sugar which is found in various fruits and berries such as strawberries,raspberries and plums. It is also known as “birch sugar” as it can be extracted from birch wood. Xylitol,when consumed, has the potential of reducing dental decay. On the other hand, sucrose (also found in fruits but with a higher sugar content), is a highly cariogenic sugar, meaning it yields high levels of acid upon fermentation. Therefore, substitution of sucrose with xylitol has the benefit of reducing the occurrence of dental decay. Continue reading