Mouthwashes: Are they for regular use?

One of my friend was concerned about the regular use of mouth washes. Being a dentist it is my duty to help people realise the benefits and side effects of such things. So I did a small research about mouthwashes and have compiled the evidence.

Halitosis is an unpleasant or offensive odour, emanating from the oral cavity. In approximately 80% of all cases, halitosis is caused by microbial degradation of oral organic substrates. Major degradation products are volatile sulphur-containing compounds.

Undoubtedly, the basic management is mechanically reducing the amount of micro-organisms and substrates in the oral cavity. This includes the use of toothbrushes, flossing and rinsing yor mouth.

Masking products such as mouthrinses/mouthwashes are not, and antimicrobial ingredients in oral healthcare products are only temporary effective in reducing micro-organisms or their substrates.

Good short-term results were reported with chlorhexidine. Triclosan seems less effective, essential oils and cetylpyridinium chloride are only effective up to 2 or 3 h. Metal ions and oxidizing agents, such as hydrogen peroxide, chlorine dioxide and iminium are active in neutralizing volatile sulphur-containing compounds. Zinc seems to be an effective safe metal at concentrations of at least 1%.

The effectiveness of active ingredients in oral healthcare products is dependent on their concentration and above a certain concentration the ingredients can have unpleasant side effects. (1)

Antimicrobial mouthrinses are generally considered safe and effective in reducing plaque and gingivitis, and should be part of a comprehensive oral health care regimen that includes brushing, flossing and rinsing to prevent or minimize periodontal disease. (2)

One concern with the regular use of alcohol-containing mouthwash was oral cancer, and the occurrence of oral cancers is not supported by epidemiological evidence. (3)
One of the major drawbacks of mouthwashes containing products such as chlorhexidine is the occurrence of stains on long term use. (4)

So, the final verdict?

Daily use of mouthwashes are safe, provided mechanical methods of cleaning are being effectively used to keep the teeth clear of plaque and other debris.

Keep a watch on the colour of the teeth; if they seem to be getting discolored, it’s time to stop using the mouthwash. Occasional use of mouthwash is preferable to daily use. Rinsing your mouth with water at regular intervals can be preferred instead of repeated mouthwash use.

If you notice bad breath, deposits on the teeth, or bleeding from gums, it is always better to consult a dentist to get your teeth cleaned and know more about oral hygiene.

Sources:

(1) van den Broek AM, Feenstra L, de Baat C. A review of the current literature on management of halitosis. Oral Dis. 2008 Jan;14(1):30-9.
(2) Lemos CA Jr, Villoria GE. Reviewed evidence about the safety of the daily use of alcohol-based mouthrinses. Braz Oral Res. 2008;22 Suppl 1:24-31.
(3) La Vecchia C. Mouthwash and oral cancer risk: an update. Oral Oncol. 2009 Mar;45(3):198-200. Epub 2008 Oct 25.
(4) Adams D, Addy M. Mouthrinses. Adv Dent Res. 1994 Jul;8(2):291-301.

Food Additives

Was browsing about some articles and came across this one about artificial sweeteners. Didn’t have time to rephrase it. Quite an useful article.

ASPARTAME

Artificial sweetener, "Diet" foods, including soft drinks, drink mixes, gelatin desserts, low-calorie frozen desserts, packets.

Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet), a chemical combination of two amino acids and methanol, was initially thought to be the perfect artificial sweetener, but it might cause cancer or neurological problems such as dizziness or hallucinations.

A 1970s study suggested that aspartame caused brain tumors in rats. However, the Food and Drug Administration persuaded an independent review panel to reverse its conclusion that aspartame was unsafe. The California Environmental Protection Agency and others have urged that independent scientists conduct new animal studies to resolve the cancer question. In 2005, researchers at the Ramazzini Foundation in Bologna, Italy, conducted the first such study. It indicated that rats first exposed to aspartame at eight weeks of age caused lymphomas and leukemias in females. However, the European Food Safety Authority reviewed the study and concluded that the tumors probably occurred just by chance.

In 2007, the same Italian researchers published a follow-up study that began exposing rats to aspartame in utero. This study found that aspartame caused leukemias/lymphomas and mammary (breast) cancer. It is likely that the new studies found problems that earlier company-sponsored studies did not because the Italian researchers monitored the rats for three years instead of two. The Italian tests remain controversial, with the industry contending that they were flawed in several ways and with the FDA stating its scientists couldn't evaluate the studies because the researchers refused to provide their original data.

In a 2006 study, U.S. National Cancer Institute researchers studied a large number of adults 50 to 69 years of age over a five-year period. There was no evidence that aspartame posed any risk. However, the study was limited in three major regards: It did not involve truly elderly people (the rat studies monitored the rats until they died a natural death), the subjects had not consumed aspartame as children, and it was not a controlled study (the subjects provided only a rough estimate of their aspartame consumption, and people who consumed aspartame might have had other dietary or lifestyle differences that obscured the chemical’s effects).

The bottom line is that lifelong consumption of aspartame probably increases the risk of cancer. People—especially young children—should not consume foods and beverages sweetened with aspartame, should switch to products sweetened with SUCRALOSE (Splenda), or should avoid all artificially sweetened foods. Two other artificial sweeteners, SACCHARIN and ACESULFAME-K, have also been linked to a risk of cancer.

Source: http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm

Love chemistry Sex physics

Was working on some topic when I came across this quote. Thought it was funny, then I realised its actually factual. Quoted by an anonymous person who says “Love is a matter of chemistry, but sex is a matter of physics”. Well I thought love and sex are both related to chemistry i.e., the hormones in our body. Well physics applies, but I am not sure how. Any enlightened people can put in some ideas??

Indian values - women

One of my friend's had asked to comment my views on what her friend had to say about marriage and role of women. She was talking about our Indian cultures and so I thought I would run a post.

Women are considered to play multiple roles in their lives as a daughter, a wife and a mother. They are brought up in most of the homes with views about life, sacrifice and service. They are mostly taught that their sole purpose of life is to serve her parents as a daughter, serve and support her husband as a wife and nurture and teach children about the values of life as a mother. Most of the women are happy to serve these purposes provided they are respected for thier roles. In a all happy situtation a daughter is considered equal to a son, a wife is considered to carry the same amount of burden while running a family and a mother is given the credit if her children become good citizens.

All goes wrong in other situations, a girl is pushed down just because she is a female. Boys are given more importance as the parents think that guys are the ones who will work and look after the parents later during their old age. The girl is always considered as an outsider as she will be getting married and living in a different house ultimately. Wives are considered as lifetime slaves with their sole purpose in life to serve their husband even if he treates her like shit. The women who is not happy in her marriage is always chided by thier parents or other women asking them to accept that its their ill fate and they need to adjust according to the needs of the husband.

Marriages are made in heaven and the kind of man or woman you get is considered as a matter of destiny. Although love marriages are happening, most still believe in arranged marriages. For them love happens after marriage. Marriages are believed to be a life long commitment which has to be continued till death. While the traditions teach both men and women equally about this fact, men always have an upper hand. From childhood most of the boys are brought up as kings with all the previlages. Girls are taught to be submissive from childhood and are expected to continue to do so during the rest of their life.

Times are changing where women are demanding equal rights and have walked out of unhappy marriages. But most of them are not respected if they do so, they believe the man was right but the woman was not capable enough to run the family. Anyways, people are becoming more educated, parents have noted that daughters care for them more than their sons and children have realised the roles of their mothers.

India is in a confused state of modernisation and clinging on to older values. While we believe in change and equal rights for women, when it comes to our own house, we expect the wife to serve and look after us even if they are dead tired after coming from work. They need to be treated in a better way and also applauded for their roles they serve in life. Men should make it a point to help them in handling the responsibilities of the house or if they cant do that, then should at least stop complaining. Lets see how well I do.. :)

The wanderer

The brain is such a complex matter of tissues. Analyses so many things at the same time. Simple to think but difficult to believe. A set of sophisticated cells and some nerve connections adds up to form all that happens in the brain. Why is it so difficult to hold to one thought?

The mind keeps wandering off every now and then. Its like you just start to think about something and another thing just pops up throwing the thoughts completely offtrack. Then its difficult to come to the one you had started thinking about.

Streamlining the thoughts and ways to control the mind is the necessity. Ha the grey matter and the white matter. Makes life simple yet so difficult. Conquering the thoughts is a great achievement I feel. Still working towards it, lets see when I will be able to achieve it.

I am back

Yeah the famous Arnold words..quite suitable I feel they are for the current situation of mine..back after a long long time..had been busy with work these days..may be I am a bit more organised now..lets see, will try to retain this organised me..have been thinking of posting on the blog for quite some time now, but have not been able to do so..

Talking about being organised how many of us are well organised? how many of us plan things well ahead they happen? Well I do. I like things to be clear and plans to be perfect. I somehow feel disoriented if my plan is not clear. I keep feeling that something is missing. Same while travelling also. If it is a new road I am planning to take, then I just draw the plans in my mind about the roads that I would be taking while going. So many times it has happened that I would have seen a shortcut but I ignore it because I had not planned for it. I dont know whether that is good or bad. May be I dont like sudden changes. Same thing with chances. I dont like taking too many chances, or uncalculated risks. A calculated risk is always better than uncalculated ones I feel. Blame it on my upbringing or on my star sign. Being a virgo I feel I have most of the qualities of the sign. A critic, I am. Somehow I tend to analyse every thing I see or read, looking for perfection. Sounds like a serious me. Nah! not much, I try to take things on the lighter side. Laughter is good for health and I am a big believer of that concept. So I hope there is a smile on those lips as you finish reading. Keep smiling!