Such dental care products as mouthwashes are considered very effective for preventing numerous dental health problems and improving our dental health. They work perfectly great for fighting dental bacteria, as well as refreshing our breath. However, some mouthwashes are going to have very strong preventive powers against dental bacteria. Wenyuan Shi, a specialist at of the University of California, claims that he developed exceptionally effective dental mouthwash which can totally kill the most common dental bacteria, Streptococcus mutans. According to the specialist, this mouthwash will become an ultimate solution for tooth decay, cavities and other related dental conditions.

Dr Shi and his research group started their work with attempting to understand the way the dental bacteria acts. It can be found in sticky colonies located on the surface of our teeth, usually in the forms of soft built-ups. The main activities of the dental bacteria include breaking nutrients and the remainings of foods we have in our mouth into various acidic compounds. These acids damage our tooth enamel and cause dental cavities, tooth decay, tooth loss and other related dental problems.

To combat this negative activities of bacteria, a special technology was created and given the name “Specifically-Targeted Antimicrobial Peptides” (STAMPs). It affects dental bacteria which cause acidity and increase the risks of dental cavities, and neutralizes their negative activities. However, in contrast to usual antibiotics, this technology helps not to kill good bacteria, but even assist in boosting their activities directed on protecting against bad bacteria. The scientific work was followed by a series of clinical trials, involving 12 participants. By using the stated technology in the form of mouthwash for four days, they managed to substantially lower the levels of destructive bacteria and acid in the mouth.

It is reported that the specialist has received monetary support and grants from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in order to go on his experiments and prepare his invention for total approval and making it available for the general public. As UCLA press release says, the main work on this invention will be continued in the beginning of the next year. At the same time, dental specialists and experts at the American Dental Association warn all of us that even after this miraculous dental mouthwash is available in our shops and pharmacies, it will still be highly necessary to go on using our toothbrushes and tooth pastes. Brushing will remain important because there are great chances that dental bacteria can resist the newly introduced dental technology.

Tags: dental bacteria, dental health, dental mouthwash

Posted: December 1st, 2011 under Dental Care for Every Day.
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It is hard to believe that having perfectly aligned teeth can ever not be a dream and an ideal for all people, right? No, there are still millions of people who are spending thousands of dollars in order to have their teeth shiny white and evenly aligned. However, in modern Japan, there is a strong tendency to having child-like crooked teeth. This trend is developing so much, and it is known in modern Japanese society as the ‘yaeba‘ look, meaning something like ‘double teeth’.

Local dentists in most cities of Japan are using a variety of techniques and methods to make the Japanese look like little vampires or like wild animals. The most common procedure usually includes using adhesive and non-permanent fangs. The cost for such innovative ‘cosmetic’ procedure varies, and in the most dental salons of Tokyo it is possible to ‘improve’ the alignment of your teeth for the price of about 300-400 USD.

There is a great deal of fans of the ‘yaeba‘ look, and many of them post their photos and promote the look quite actively. They consider that this little dental imperfection can make anyone look cute, pretty and much more sexy. Specialists suppose that the main driving force of this trend is our natural desire to look younger, because this alignment is linked in our minds to not only with animal-type teeth, but also with baby-type teeth. In addition, this alignment is associated with smaller mouth which is also considered prettier and more cute.

Western dental specialists and psychologists see some other causes on this interesting trend in today’s Japan. Some believe that it can be a result of too high standards for perfection in modern world. ‘The white standard got too white. The perfection standard got too perfect,’ Dr Marc Lowenberg, one of the most popular New York dental care specialists, comments to American mass media. Other scientists are sure that this tendency can be explained by our natural desire to have certain ‘perfect imperfections’.

At the same time, there are world-famous celebrities who also promote ‘yaeba‘ look. Actress Kirsten Dunst is known for her snaggle fangs which absolutely for sure add to her sensitivity and sexuality. Despite of the fact that the trend is becoming more and more huge in Japan, experts are sure that it will not spread around the world and become something global in the nearest future.

Tags: yaeba look

Posted: November 25th, 2011 under Cosmetic Dentistry.
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It is a known fact that those who like drinking sugary beverages like carbonated sweet drinks, coffee and so on, have higher risks of developing such dental problems like tooth decay, cavities and others. In particular, popular coffee drinks like latte, mocha and others are believed to be quite harmful to our dental health. We spend hours working at our computers and drink pretty many cups of sweetened tea or various types of coffee, exposing our both dental and overall health to great risks and dangers.

Heidi Hackett, a Canadian dental specialist, says that from her conversation with her patients she understood that drinking coffee on an every day basis can seriously elevate the risks of having dental problems in adults. “The constant exposure to the lactose or milk sugar is giving the bacteria in the mouth a flood of raw fuel or ‘food’ to metabolize,” she says. The specialist says that Streptococcus mutans known as the most common type of bacteria causing tooth decay and cavities, works on metabolizing sugars and carbohydrates, turns them into acid that in turn lead to tooth enamel damage, cavities and possibly even tooth loss. Sweetened drink consumption creates the most favorable environment for the bacteria growing and having their harmful effects.

Dental specialists tend to connect increasing popularity of various types of coffee which has been taking place for the last 6-7 years, with current increase of the number of tooth decay occurrences. Drinking hot sweetened drinks like various types of coffee for less than 15 minutes a day is fine. However, drinking 4-5 sweetened drinks a day or using it a a snack for several hours a day can get you into a trouble and make you a regular visitor of dental clinics. This sad tendency takes place in most countries and nations of the world putting to danger global dental health, the experts are convinced.

For everyone of us it is necessary to pay close attention to this problem. Is you drink several cups of sweetened tea or coffee a day, there’s quite an easy solution for your suggested by world’s leading dental care specialists. Try to rinse your mouth with a fluoride rinse or at least with some mineral water after finishing your cup of drink. This is a great technique to neutralize the activities of acids in your mouth this way preventing their harmful effects and lower the risks of tooth decay and cavities. The same rule can actually be applied to those who like drinking carbonated drinks or commercially produced sweetened juices.

Tags: dental problems, latte, sweetened drinks

Posted: November 17th, 2011 under Miscellaneous.
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