If you’ve ever wondered what makes holistic dentistry unique, and perhaps more pure, you would be surprised to learn it is not just the procedures—including bacteria tests and dental amalgam removal—but product recommendations. Toothpaste, mouthwash and other commercially available products, which are recommended by your local dentist and constitute a billion dollar industry, actually have holistic equivalents.
A good example are commercial mouthwashes, some of which contain harsh detergents, such as cocamidopropyl betaine. Listerine contains a slightly milder detergent, Poloxamer 407, but its unique qualities—being soluble in liquids at low temperature, but turning into a gel at higher temperatures (i.e. body temperature)—makes it a film former, keeping other toxic ingredients on the surface of the mouth for longer.
Mouthwashes also commonly contain fluoride, a systemic poison, as well as sorbitol and, more worryingly, saccharin, which has been found to cause bladder cancer in animals.
Finally, there are synthetic colors, aromas and flavorings. These chemicals can alter the basic flora of the mouth in the same way as alcohol and may cause dermatitis around the mouth.
There are other products that holistic dentists are aware of and can recommend that offer the same results as commercial mouthwashes, such as decreasing bad breath, without the introduction of harsh chemicals; even better, speak with your holistic dentist about using a water pick and other dental hygiene measures to make mouthwash unnecessary.
Source: Golden Dental Wellness. Location: 444 Community Dr., Ste. 204, Manhasset. For more information, call 516-627-8400, email [email protected] or visit GoldenSmile.com. See ad on page 15.
