Currently viewing the category: "American Dental Association"

Trash Mouth

By On · Add Comment · In American Dental Association, cigarette smoking, oral cancer, periodontal disease, smokeless tobacco, toxins
You know what I’ve never understood? The appeal of smokeless tobacco to anybody not sitting in a baseball dugout. Chaw, dip, spits, grizz–nasty stuff. So if you’re a spitter, here’s a post for ya: The American Dental Association wants everyone to know that smokeless tobacco contains at least 28 cancer causing toxins, and they are in the best position to see what it can do to your trap.Here’s a list of oral health problems associated with chewing the chaw:

  • Increased risk of oral cancer
  • Increased risk of periodontal (gum) disease, possibly causing tooth loss and tooth sensitivity (awesome pictures here).
  • Difficulty healing after a dental procedure.
  • Limited treatment options for dental care, such as a dental implant.
  • Staining of the teeth and tongue, as well as bad breath.
  • Reduced ability to taste and smell.
Like I said, I never did get the chewing tobacco thing. I remember tutoring organic chemistry for the Student Learning Center at UC Berkeley, when sitting one day with a Cal football player trying to explain to him the alkene reactions, I couldn’t help but being distracted by his repeatedly spitting into a Styrofoam cup. I kept thinking…“That’s gross, dude.” And I was a cigarette smoker…ha ha ha…Imagine a smoker thinking your habit is disgusting? Smokeless tobacco is definitely on the bottom of the cesspool when it comes to the hierarchy of poisoning yourself (along with methamphetamine use, or sniffing paint).
If you currently use smokeless tobacco, then…yuck! Hey it’s your health, your life, and your choice…but well, shoot, maybe you’d be interested in needle sharing, or unprotected sex with a $10 hooker. Same thing, dude.

Should Salons Whiten Teeth?

By On · Add Comment · In American Dental Association, salon, teeth-whitening

What do you think: Should teeth-whitening be a salon service or should it be limited to dentists? That’s the question under scrutiny, as the American Dental Association (ADA) attempts to block salons across the country from providing the white-wash service.

According to news reports, many upscale salons are providing teeth-whitening along with eyelash extensions, henna tattoos and cellulite removal. Give the people what they want, right? Not according to the ADA. The dental industry claims that this is a health and safety issue, as there is no way to guarantee that salons are practicing safe hygiene. Dental offices, of course, are bound by state and federal regulations, but salons are not, something the ADA emphasizes in their arguments against allowing teeth-whitening to become a mini-mall service.

Proponents of salon whitening state that their treatments are no different than many available over-the-counter products that people can purchase and administer themselves like whitening strips and so forth.

“What we ultimately feel this boils down to is a consumer-rights issue, because consumers should have the right to whiten their teeth any way they want to whiten their teeth as long as it’s safe,” said Paul Klein, vice president of White Smile USA, the Atlanta-based company which licenses its whitening products to locations in 23 states.

However, according to Dr. Leslie Seldin, a dentist for 43 years and now consumer adviser and spokesperson for the ADA, said it’s hard to know whether the bleaching trays or ultraviolet lights used in some salons are sanitary or safe.

As it turns out, salons are currently losing the battle. Courts in Alabama, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Wyoming have all judged against salon owners providing teeth-whitening services. The salons in those states are charged with practicing dentistry without a license and ordered to halt all activities.

Before becoming rash to decide, though, please note that in Ohio, the dental board there actually agrees with salon owners and believes that the service being provided in salons is not dentistry at all, since no salon employee ever touches the mouths of the customers. Hmmm.

According to Klein, “We feel the state is trying to use their regulatory power to protect a monopoly for the dentists, and we don’t think that’s right.” It certainly wouldn’t be the first time, Mr. Klein, that a health industry authority tried to block others from providing health services.

So what do you think? Should salons be allowed to provide teeth-whitening, something we all can do on our own at home. Or should all tooth matters be the realm of the dental industry. I’m curious for your thoughts.

Fluoridated Water–Los Angeles Resident Beware

By On · Add Comment · In American Dental Association, cavities, dental caries, fluoridation, fluoride, fluorosilicic acid, good, Martin Sheen, skeletal fluorosis, tooth decay, water, water supply

I know nobody in L.A. drinks tap water–it’s bottled water for everyone. However, all Los Angeles residents need to be aware that the Metropolitan Water District is adding fluoride–a known toxin–into the city’s water supply. Water fluoridation has been a topic of controversy for decades, and L.A. water has gone unadulterated for years, but not any longer.

As of last month, fluorosilicic acid has been added to L.A.’s water supply in an attempt to decrease dental caries (cavities). Fluorosilicic acid is a known poison, even in small amounts. Proponents–the American Dental Association, the American Medical Association, the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention–believe that minute amounts help in fighting cavities. But fluorosilicic acid is highly unstable; that means it dissociates in water. It is potentially linked to skeletal fluorosis (check out some gnarly pictures, here), bone cancer, thyroid disease and other diseases. It is so toxic that an accidental spill of fluorosilicic acid on a Florida interstate a few years ago sent more than 50 people to hospitals. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Drinking an ounce would probably kill a person.” Yet, we are being fed this stuff by health organizations and government as a health remedy. Doh!

I spend quite a bit of ink on this topic in my upcoming book, The Six Keys To Optimal Health, collaborating with an expert in the area to get much of my information. No surprises how I feel about it. Despite the purported benefits, many European countries have bypassed the practice and continue to have low rates of tooth decay anyway.

If you don’t mind having a known toxin added to your drinking water, or you think it’s a good thing, then do nothing–ignore this post and move on. But if you think like Martin Sheen that “We are not lab rats and reject any attempt to be treated as such,” then you might want to keep informed and do what you can to stop the practice. That’s all I’ve got to say…for now.

Check out 50 Reasons to Oppose Fluoridation.

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