To my patients…….

My blog posts are usually copies of the columns that write for The Town Common paper weekly. If you don’t read them regularly take a look at some of the posts below and see if the subject matter interests you. Pass them on to your friends and family…..or have them like my facebook page.

Dental decay is still a major problem in our society. Decay rates can change over time from dietary changes, medication changes, and gum recession to name a few. Existing fillings or crowns are not protection against decay. Understanding and improving your diet, improving your home care and maintaining professional care are things we can all work on. As I have said before….Decay is a bacterial and pH (acid) disease that I believe is 100% controllable.

One product that I have written about before and talked to many of you about is Xylitol. Xylitol is a sweetner that is also anti-cavity. It can be found in hard candies and gum manufactured by only a few companies.

I recently ordered samples of peppermint candies, fruit lollipops and gum with Xylitol. If you are interested in trying them out to see if you like them, please stop by the office. If you like them I can order them for you. The recommended “dose/day” is 3-5 servings for helping prevent cavities. The thing to look for is to determine if you like the taste of Xylitol and whether it bothers your stomach.

One more important note on Xyitol……it is poisonous to dogs…..not sure why….xylitol is a sugar alcohol…..but it is harmful to dogs so please be aware of that.

Also, I have put many of you on a prescription fluoride toothpaste if I felt you were more susceptible to decay. Although I am NOT a proponent of water fluoridation, I have seen the benefits of topical fluoride. If you are not on this and wonder if you should be, please just ask us.

I believe that most people do not need xylitol or fluoride (or at least additional fluoride) to prevent decay. I think that diet can control most of the decay problems I see. However, change is sometimes difficult for people. Things like xylitol and fluoride are beneficial for people where diet alone cannot change their decay risk.

Thank you for trusting us to work with you to achieve and maintain better health.

Peter St Clair