Periodontics & Implantology Blog

Today’s typical American diet carries much of the blame for tooth decay. Back in the 1930s, a Cleveland dentist undertook a study to compare the diets of isolated Australian Aborigines, remote tribes in Africa, Canadian Indians and isolated groups of Eskimos and found they had no tooth decay. Once exposed to modern foods and food habits, there was a rapid loss of immunity to tooth decay. At San Antonio Periodontics & Implants, we want your teeth and oral health to be the best it can be.

We Are What We Eat

We’ve all heard the saying “You are what you eat”. First coined in 1826 in French, the term simply means that in order to be fit and healthy – and that includes oral health – you need to eat good food. It’s always possible to change your eating habits and become a healthier consumer. It’s better to start children at a young age on a path of lifetime healthy eating habits.

Did you know that people have been brushing their teeth since 3500-3000 BC? History actually confirms that Babylonians and Egyptians used a twig with a frayed end to “brush” their teeth. “Toothsticks” have been found alongside their owners in tombs. The Chinese also started “brushing” their teeth around 1600 BC, by using aromatic tree twigs to freshen their breath.

You might be interested to learn that the first “toothpastes” used were varied and included powdered ox hooves’ ashes, burnt eggshells, crushed bones, oyster shells, powdered charcoal and bark, ginseng, herbal mints and salt. Although today’s toothpastes don’t generally use those ingredients (whew), the reasons why ancient cultures brushed their teeth – and why it’s important for you to brush yours – contain some of the same reasons: keeping teeth and gums clean, whitening teeth and freshening breath.

These ancient peoples faced some pretty tough challenges, but they didn’t have to face the challenge of walking into the toothpaste aisle at the grocery store or drugstore and being faced down by a huge variety of toothpastes – all touting their reasons why you should pick them. So how do you choose a toothpaste for you and your family? There are some simple things to keep in mind as you decide. Remember, teeth should be brushed at a minimum twice a day for two minutes each time.

Flossing: the bane of human existence. We’ve all been there (aside from a few outliers who actually have their lives together), laid back in a dental chair, bright light shining in your face. Maybe you’re wearing awkward sunglasses, maybe you’re not, but you feel that stinging in your gums as your dentist pokes you with a metal tool. Then they’re looking down at you with that face, telling you that your gums wouldn’t be bleeding if you would just floss more! Maybe you floss every once in a while, maybe you do it every single day or maybe you don’t do it at all.