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As a dentist whose practice is limited to the treatment of children, I see the affects of sugar every day.  Most people have a sweet tooth, and some have a sweeter tooth than others. The urge to consume more and more sugar can be so irresistible that we do it even when we know it is bad for our health. We are bombarded with daily advertising showing happy, healthy people gobbling up sugar-snacks without a care in the world. These advertisements are meant to sell product, not promote oral health. If you need 146 reasons to cut the sugar, click here.

In my office, I tell each and every one of my patients and their parents about the five levels of healthier living that they can start doing now to help stop tooth decay, and I diagram it out for them in the form of a pyramid. Here are the five steps.

1. Whole food, whole food supplements and your environment. What a person does at the bottom of the pyramid will have a greater affect on stopping tooth decay but it will be the most difficult for them to change. As you move up the pyramid it becomes progressively easier to make the change but will have less effect on preventing tooth decay. To change your diet takes a considerable amount of time, effort commitment, but for those that are willing to make the change they will soon feel, see and experience a healthier life and fewer cavities. I have more  information on whole food supplements at my Kidds Dental website.

2. Xylitol Products - are an effective means of preventing tooth decay even when someone is not willing to change their diet. Xylitol increases salivary flow, raises pH, decreases the acid content of the saliva, makes the bad bacteria (strep-mutans) Slicky instead of Sticky which simply means that there will be less plaque on the tooth and when there is less plaque there will be less decay. Read 'Xylitol: What Every Family Should Know' at Myxylitol.com

3. Oral Hygiene - Practicing good oral hygiene takes about 2 minutes of brushing in the morning and 2 minutes in the evening and if you can floss once a day you will add about another minute to accomplish that task. Brushing with a xylitol-containing toothpaste with or without fluoride will help remove the plaque off your teeth.

4. Disinfectants - The next to the last step in the pyramid is the use of disinfectants that are usually applied in the dental office or given in the form of a prescription. The most commonly used prescription is Chlorhexidine. Chlorhexidine is primarily effective on a short term basis. After about 12 weeks, the plaque levels and bacteria counts will return to their original levels -- unless you change your oral hygiene habits, use xylitol products and change your eating habits.

5. Re-mineralization – At the top of the pyramid is the easiest thing to do and the least effective. When a tooth begins to decalcify you can add re-mineralizing agents such as calcium glycerol phosphate, calcium lactate and fluoride, which will strengthen the tooth surface. The fluoride must be in the contact for 4 minutes to be effective and it must be done every day. Make sure you rinse your mouth thoroughly if you choose to use a fluoride product. You can find these products in the toothpastes, tooth gels and mints at MyXylitol.com.

For more detailed information on how to increase your family's oral health, including detailed steps on the five levels above, MyXylitol.com is now offering a 42 page book that was written by Dr. Russ Misner and myself. You can add a copy to your shopping cart by clicking here.

The book lays out the program step by step, what is required of you, how to protect your children from dental decay before they are born. Plus, there is a great test that you can take to find out if you may be addicted to sugar. Find out what healthy snacks are, what are hidden sugars and where they are found . There is also a good food list too to assist you making better food choices for you and your family and much more.

For wholesale ordering, please visit our professional site:
www.ADRdental.com

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