I worked for a large natural retailer for about ten years and I had the BEST job within that company. It was so amazing! I was in charge of the beer, wine, coffee, cheese, chocolate and olive department. It was easy to get excited about going to work when wine and cheese tasting started at 7am and moved through the afternoon.
I placed wine orders on Tuesdays and the wine representative from the largest company I worked with would come in on Tuesdays, sometimes bringing twenty or so samples. His name was Chris. This was a great thing to get paid to do, except for one thing. Our "tasting room" was basically the place where we did the dishes. It was small and hot and steamy and Chris had breath that smelled like three day old road kill on a hot street in July. It was terrible. It was so bad, I was thinking that he could not possibly taste the wine. How could he detect the subtle nuances of vanilla that French oak imparted into the wines? How could he detect the creaminess of the malolactic fermentation on a California chardonnay with all of the bacteria in his mouth? I could barely stand to be in the hot, steamy tasting room with him and would often delegate the job to one of my employees. It was sad to give up free wine.
I had to do something for Chris. I debated back and forth about what to say and how to say it. I knew it was my responsibility to say something given my family history in dentistry and with the additional knowledge that provided me.
Ultimately, I told him he was my friend and I cared about him and asked him if anyone had ever told him he had bad breath before. To my surprise he said, "Yes, all the time."
"Does that concern you?" I asked.
"Not really," he said. "I have always had bad breath."
"Did you know that it is caused from bacteria?" I asked.
"No," he said.
"Yes," I said. "The same types of bacteria that are found in carcasses and feces. And all of that bacteria can complicate and cause systemic diseases such as diabetes and can increase your chances of a heart attack."
"Wow," he said. "I didn't know."
"I'm only telling you because I care about you. Especially since your profession involves interpersonal relationships with people who have a highly trained sense of smell," I said.
I left the company shortly thereafter. Reports from my old team were that Chris's breath did not improve that much. But at least I did my part to help stop the stink. It was not an easy thing to do, but I feel better that I did it.
Vitamin D is becoming the “It” vitamin. Not only for your teeth, but for prevention of heart disease and cancer as well as bone health. Studies in Austria and Germany have found that individuals who take at least 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily live longer than the subjects that did not. In addition, they found a 17 percent less likelihood for developing cancer, 29 percent less likelihood of dying from cancer and a 45 percent reduction in digestive tract cancers. It has also been found to help prevent type one and type two diabetes.
In 2009 the deficiency of vitamin D is widespread. It is not only spread across the U.S. but also across Asia, Europe and the rest of the world. Perhaps the word is slow about getting out to citizens about the values of vitamin D. It is also interesting to note that vitamin D is the only vitamin produced in the human body by exposure to sunlight. Our ancestors spent a lot more time exposed to the sun than we do and produced 20,000 IUs. Meanwhile, our deficiencies create the need to supplement in our diets despite the ready availability of sunlight.
We believe in keeping our business in WHEAT RIDGE and supporting our local, privately owned businesses. Dr. Johnson has a long relationship with Wheat Ridge. He graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in 1975. He was a baseball pitcher for the Wheat Ridge Farmers, was on the wrestling team and the football team through his high school career. Five years ago, he relocated his business back to Wheat Ridge and it feels like coming home.
As a fantastic spring celebration, we are offering anyone with a business or residence in the city of Wheat Ridge $100 off a tooth whitening system.
All you have to have is a business or residence in the city of Wheat Ridge and you can call and make an appointment.
We look forward to brightening your smile and celebrating local businesses.
303-422-8748
Get Your Calcium & Vitamin D
Calcium and vitamin D are important for strengthening your bones and teeth, particularly as you age. Research has shown that in individuals over sixty, calcium and vitamin D increase bone density and can lower the risk of hip fracture. Calcium is often too bulky to fit the daily value into a multivitamin, so you will likely need to obtain your calcium from another source. It is recommended that you take a supplement unless you get enough from your diet. You need 1,000 mg of calcium daily from ages 19 to 50, and 1,200 mg daily if you are over 50. Men should not take more than 1,500 mg a day. (From “Longevity Made Simple: Add 20 Good Years to Your Life”)
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. It is a vitamin that should be ingested daily. Water-soluble vitamins are washed out of the body once the body has what it needs. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, promotes healthy teeth and gums, assists the absorption of iron and maintains healthy connective tissue. If you cut or scrape your skin, Vitamin C aids in the healing of those wounds. It also is an antioxidant.
Of course, maintaining adequate levels of all vitamins in the body is ultimately necessary to the maintenance of a healthy mouth. The body functions as a whole so any deficiency will tax the other systems requiring the deficient vitamin.
THE MINERALS
Calcium, calcium, and more calcium, everyone needs adequate calcium no mater what age they are. This mineral is intimately involved in the building of bones and teeth. What do bones have to do with teeth, you may be thinking? Plenty. Your “jawbone” is the foundation your teeth live within. If your jawbone is not healthy the chances are your whole mouth is not healthy.
In conjunction with calcium you need adequate levels of phosphorus. These two minerals work hand-in-hand to make your bones and teeth stronger. Investigate fluoride, magnesium and other minerals as necessary to strong teeth.
WHAT TO EAT
All bodies need vitamins to promote growth and health. Some vitamins are needed because the body cannot make them at all or makes them in insufficient amounts so food intake must supply them.
To get your Vitamin A, eat dark green and yellow fruits and vegetables, eggs, low-fat dairy products, and liver. Vitamin D is taken into the body by eating egg yolks, fatty fish (like tuna and salmon, sardines and herring), and drinking fortified milk. Getting your daily Vitamin C can be accomplished by eating citrus fruits, tomatoes, melons, berries, red peppers, green peppers, and broccoli. Proper calcium in your diet can be provided by including yogurt or other dairy products, cheese, tofu, vegetables such as broccoli and peas, beans, enriched grains as well as seeds and nuts.
WHAT NOT TO EAT
Stay away from foods that are high in calories, salt, sugar, and the wrong kinds of fat such as fast foods or processed and pre-packaged foods. Most meals that fall into this category are deficient in essential nutrients and can pack on the pounds quickly. Salt and sugar interfere with the body’s metabolism by altering insulin processes and blood pressure among other destructive behaviors. tooth decay and gum disease should be watched carefully if you fill your diet with fast foods or processed foods. The sugars included in these foods can cause tooth decay to increase rapidly.
Written by Melissa LaRose
Did you know there is new evidence that if you improve your dental health, you can improve your heart health? It’s true! By following the recommended treatment given to you by your dentist and hygienist, your gums will no longer be infected and your heart will improve without the millions of bacteria in your bloodstream.
Improved gum health can also help your medications work more efficiently. By ridding your body of systemic infection, your medications work more effectively and move more efficiently through the body.
Healthy gums are part of a healthy body! Call today to schedule your necessesary hygiene appointment with our hygienist, Molly.