Most modern women wear lipstick very frequently, being unaware of the fact that some types of this cosmetics can actually be harmful to their dental health. According to Brazilian specialists at the University of Sao Paulo carried out a series of scientific researches and experiments. They tested 10 most famous and popular brands of lipstick and found out that using most of those can eventually lead to increased risks of dental plague and other dental problems.

The scientists studied chemical composition of the cosmetics product. It turned out that the majority of lipsticks contain hard paraben wax, a sticky substance which can easily get stuck to our teeth together with food particles and numerous bacteria. This way, an excellent environment for bacterial growth and dental plague development is created, and it is possible to avoid such negative effects only by brushing teeth very frequently. Therefore, prolonged use of lipstick causes small damages of tooth enamel leading to formation of cavities.

According to Antonio Xavier, one of the leaders of this interesting research, lipsticks contain really small amounts of such paraben wax, but using lipsticks on a daily or regular basis can cause the above mentioned dental problems even within 2-3 months. In order to avoid possible negative effects of using this cosmetic product, Brazilian dental specialists intent to create a special spray which would be able to protect tooth enamel from the wax and pathogenic bacteria.  It is estimated that an average woman who regularly uses creams, mascara, lipstick and other cosmetic products, every year receives up to 2 kilos of harmful chemical compounds.

Tags: cosmetic products, lipstick

Posted: February 25th, 2010 under Dental Care for Every Day.
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Experts and specialists constantly warn us that there are certain mistakes and misconceptions about dental care and oral hygiene that have embedded in our society. Below, there is a short list of the most common ones.

1. Hard toothbrushes clean better.

2. Brushing the teeth in a tough and harsh manner will clean the teeth better.

3. Using too much tooth paste will scratch your enamel.

4.  Brushing your teeth with baking soda and salt will whiten your teeth.

5. You should wet the toothpaste and the toothbrush before you start brushing your teeth.

6. Using toothpaste can cause tooth decay.

7. Tooth decay is genetic and impossible to avoid.

8. One should brush teeth before breakfast.

9. Some people’s jaw bones are incapable of holding tooth implants.

10. Tooth imaging with x-ray is more dangerous than x-ray imaging of other body organs.

11. Numerous and repeated teeth whitening procedures can cause reverse effects.

12. Male dentists do better job.

13. Toothache can be completely cured by placing tobacco leaves or aspirin to the problematic tooth.

14. The best way to cure toothache is to remove aching tooth.

15. Everybody has bad breath and there’s no way to avoid it.

16. Dental braces can be used only in childhood.

17. Every pregnancy will take one tooth away from the woman.

Tags: dental care myths, dentl care

Posted: January 24th, 2010 under Dental Care for Every Day.
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More and more of recent competent scientific studies and researches have been demonstrating that common assumption about negative effects of sweet foods on our dental health is actually not always true. In particular, it is believed that such sweet and sticky food as raisins can cause plague formation and damage our dental health to a great extent. However, it turned out that regular consumption of raisins can not be linked to any serious dental problems.

A group of scientists at University of Illinois at Chicago, USA, and a specialist at Kristianstad University and Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Sweden, conducted a series of the experiments to investigate the consequences of regular consumption of raisins and cornflakes with raisins on dental health of young children. The trials involved 20 children 7-11 year old, and it was proven that eating raisins and products containing raisins does not result in any plague formation or even dental health worsening.

The scientists say that the sweetness of raisins is linked to a high content of fructose, not sucrose. It is true that usually the foods similar to the taste and consistency of raisins is associated with dental plaque and other problems. However, the remainings of raisins can be removed or washed away from our tooth enamel very effectively. That is why there should be no limits imposed on consuming raisins from the point of dental health protection. It is a known fact that eating raisins is connected to a variety of valuable health benefits, such as stronger immunity, lower chances of suffering from insomnia and lower risks of having heart disease.

Tags: dental health, raisins

Posted: January 4th, 2010 under Dental Care for Every Day.
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