INFANT FORMULA & FLUORIDE The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2006 announced that it will allow bottlers to claim that fluoridated water may reduce the risk of caries (tooth decay). The American Dental Association (ADA) agrees with the FDA that this health claim is not intended for use on bottled water marketed to infants, for whom lesser amounts of fluoride are appropriate. The right amount of fluoride is needed to help protect teeth and prevent caries. Fluoride intake above optimal amounts, however, creates a risk of developing enamel fluorosis in teeth during their development before they erupt through the gingiva (gums). Most cases of enamel fluorosis result in faint white lines or streaks on tooth enamel that are not readily apparent to the affected person or the casual observer.
OPTIMAL FLUORIDE LEVEL The optimal fluoride level in drinking water is 0.7 to 1.2 parts per million, an amount that has been proven beneficial in reducing caries. In some areas, naturally occurring fluoride may be above or below these levels. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires notification by the water supplier if the fluoride level exceeds 2 ppm.
People living in areas where naturally occurring fluoride levels in drinking water exceed 2 ppm should consider an alternative water source or home water treatments to reduce the risk of fluorosis in young children.
RECONSTITUTED INFANT FORMULA
The ADA offers these recommendations to reduce fluoride intake from reconstituted infant formula. Breast milk is widely acknowledged as the most complete form of nutrition for infants. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends human milk for all infants (except for the few for whom breast-feeding is determined to be harmful).
For infants who get most of their nutrition from formula during their first 12 months, ready-to-feed formula is preferred to help ensure that their fluoride intake does not exceed the optimal amount. If liquid concentrate or powdered infant formula is the primary source of nutrition, it can be mixed with water that is fluoride-free or contains low levels of fluoride to reduce the risk of fluorosis. These include water labeled as purified, demineralized, deionized or distilled, as well as reverse osmosis filtered water. Many stores sell these types of drinking water for less than $1 per gallon.
Parents and caregivers should consult with their dentist, pediatrician or family physician regarding the most appropriate water to use in their area to reconstitute infant formula. Ask your pediatrician or family physician whether water used in infant formula should be sterilized first (sterilization, however, will not remove fluoride).
TOOTHPASTE & MOUTHRINSE
Unless advised to do so by a dentist or other health care professional, parents should not use fluoride toothpaste in children younger than 2 years, because they may inadvertently swallow the toothpaste. Children 2 years and older should use an appropriate-sized toothbrush with a small brushing surface and only a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste at each brushing. They should always be supervised while brushing and taught to spit out, rather than swallow, toothpaste.
Fluoride mouth rinses have been shown to help prevent caries in both children and adults. Unless the child’s dentist advises otherwise, the ADA does not recommend the use of fluoride mouth rinses in children younger than 6 years, because they may be more likely to inadvertently swallow the mouth rinse. Fluoride supplements are not recommended for children younger than 6 months. Children should receive only dietary supplemental fluoride tablets or drops as prescribed by their dentist or physician based on the supplement schedule approved by the ADA, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
(visit “www.ada.org”).
This web site has various information on fluoride. It has the ADA’s policies, position statement, recommendations, references, current news, and other resources.
Please use the “dentist version” for the most information available.
Have a look at this Oxyfresh or CloSYS web site. The Products section is helpful.
The active ingredient is Chlorine Dioxide … and it Works!
Obviously there can be several causes of bad breath, but the “volatile sulfur compounds” that accumulate on the tongue are the number one culprit. Click on a link below.
Motivating people to make positive changes to their behavior can be difficult. Direct attempts to persuade them may backfire and/or cause resistance.
But by empathizing with you about the difficulty of quitting and by offering you ongoing support, we may become a trusted ally.
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Let us help you learn various ways to quit smoking. Medications like Chantix and various QUIT programs may give you a fighting chance. Wanda Brown, RN at St. Croix Regional Medical Center specializes in various Quit Programs, too.
Use the Link at the bottom of the page to access information on Chantix … and feel free to ask us about helping you quit.
Use this web site to check out valuable information about your medications. You can use this resource to become better informed about the medications you use. It enables you to:
Get detailed information on uses and side effects for your drugs.
See how each of your drugs interact with each other … use the “interaction checker section.”
Identify pills when you aren’t sure what they are … use the “pill identifier section.”
See any FDA drug alerts … use the “news and alerts section.”
What about OTC whitnening products like strips, toothpastes, rinses, etc?
There are various products made by Crest and Rembrandt that are safe and effective. However, they are not for everyone. Also, their effectiveness and usefulness are limited.
Whitestrips … these are small strips [think cellophane tape] that fit over the front teeth and have a gel on the inside. This gel has a similar active ingredient as the office gels we supply as part of our home whitening system.
Whitestrips … Who should use them? First of all, note that all bleaching products only work on natural teeth, not fillings or crowns. I have not seen consistent success with adults. For ages 18-30 it can be very effective for many. For most adults the office supplied, customized products we use can get very good results and with fewer side effects.
Rinses and toothpastes … Most of these have minimal effectiveness for “whitening.” They primarily help to eliminate or reduce surface staining. Also, some people develop sensitivity with their teeth with regular use. Bottom line … pick a toothpaste that tastes good and has fluoride. They are all so similar as to make them essentially equal.
In-Office [one appointment] bleaching… This is a system that uses very concentrated products to get your whitening done in a single appointment. I am not an advocate of this because it is expensive, labor intensive, can cause more tooth sensitivity, and doesn’t end up with any better result than our home whitening system.
Home bleaching trays … This is our preferred method. It allows flexibility for length of time used and allows flexibility on the most appropriate products. Also, if you keep your tray you can touch up once a year and simply buy another tube or two of the bleaching gel. We supervise its use and can usually get very nice results.
3rd molars [wisdom teeth] usually develop and erupt around age 18. It is at this time that a special X-Ray is often times taken … called a panoramic x-ray. At our office we then decide if the 3rd molars should be extracted.
Typical reasons for removing 3rd molars are:
There is not enough room for full eruption into the correct position.
They are impinging on the neighboring molars.
They may increase the odds of further crowding of your other teeth.
They develop very sore or infected gums if they are only partially through the gum … and cannot fully erupt into position.
If they are partly erupted they are very hard to clean and much more prone to decay and gum disease.
Without the 3rd molars it is easier to clean the 2nd molars in front of them … further reducing the risks of cavities and gum disease on these teeth.
Unerupted 3rd molars sometimes develop cysts around them, which requires their removal.
At a young age the wisdom teeth are easier to remove, since often times the roots have not fully formed. Also, teenagers heal more easily and thoroughly than older adults.
Note the 4 wisdom teeth … all impacted under the gum and jaw bone.
Note all four 3rd molars … 2 are erupted almost completely and 2 are impacted completely. Also, the one on the lower left side of the x ray has a cyst around it.
The American Dental Association position on Community Water Fluoridation
• All water, including lakes, rivers and the ocean, contains naturally occurring amounts of fluoride. If the natural level of fluoride in water is very low, public water systems may adjust it to an optimal level proven to help prevent tooth decay–approximately 1 part of fluoride dissolved in a million parts of water. This process is called community water fluoridation.
• Based on the weight of scientific evidence, which indicates that community water fluoridation can help prevent up to 40 percent of tooth decay, the American Dental Association remains a strong advocate for community water fluoridation. The World Health Organization, the American Medical Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the ADA and many other health organizations acknowledge that water fluoridation is a public health measure that has contributed to a significant decline in dental decay over the past 70 years.
