Ah – ah- ah- ACHOO!

Keeping Your Distance From the Common Cold and Flu

It seems everyone in your home or your office is sneezing up a storm. Your daughter’s nose won’t stop running. She has a low-grade fever and is complaining of a sore throat. Or your colleague in the office next door is hacking away with a deep chest cough. You know that with each cough, germs are being spewed into the air. You wish he had called in sick.

When those around you are suffering from the common cold, there is one strong feeling that probably accompanies your sympathy for them – a strong desire to not “catch” whatever ails them, be it a bacterial or viral infection. Whatever it is, you surely don’t want it.

How Can You Arm Your Immune System for Its Fight Against the Cold or Flu?

There are many commonsense approaches to keep in mind when those around you have a contagious illness: Wash your hands often. Avoid direct contact with the person’s belongings (especially any phone the person may have used!). Use ample amounts of hand sanitizer. Don’t grab a tissue from a tissue box in a common area. Don’t eat food off of a platter from which those who are sick may have also eaten.

Think About Your Face

When there’s a nasty “bug” going around, don’t touch your mouth, nose, ears or eyes with unwashed or unsanitized hands. The bacteria or virus that is causing the illness that is tormenting those around you enters your body through your mouth, your nose your ears or your eyes. Think about how often you casually wipe your eyes after you’ve been working at your computer for an extended period, or how you might casually itch near your mouth or nose. Even resting your chin in your hand is dangerous territory when you’re trying not to get sick. Touching your face is the fastest way to introduce illness-causing germs to gain a foothold in your body.

Boost Your Immune System and Stay Healthy!

Here are some ways to support your body’s natural germ-fighting defenses:

•    Brush your teeth. Yep – it sounds a little silly, but brushing your teeth can help remove some of the germs that may have entered your mouth in an effort to make you the next victim of that wicked cold or horrid flu. Before you brush your teeth, make sure you thoroughly wash your hands. Also, make sure your toothbrush is clean. If it’s more than six weeks old, get a new one. Toothbrushes should be thrown out after you have used them for about four to six weeks. Beyond that window of time, your toothbrush is simply too worn out to be effective. If your toothbrush is newer than that, pour a small amount of hydrogen peroxide on the bristles between brushings and be sure to let your toothbrush dry out before you brush again. Hydrogen peroxide will wipe out the harmful bacteria hiding in your bristles, and bacteria can’t survive on dry nylon bristles. You could even splurge and buy yourself a second brush. By alternating use between two brushes, you can ensure that your brush is dry and bacteria-free before you brush again.

•    Take some probiotics. Probiotics for digestive health can help boost your immune system, because they fortify the native bacteria in your digestive tract. By supplementing with a digestive probiotic, you‘re giving your digestive bacteria a little extra help as they wrestle with the foreign, illness-causing bacteria. While you have probiotics on your mind, add EvoraPlus and EvoraKids oral care probiotics to your shopping list. Oral care probiotics help support gum and tooth health by crowding out harmful bacteria in the mouth. EvoraKids is formulated specifically to address the oral care needs of children ages 3-10, while EvoraPlus is the proper formulation for those over the age of 11. EvoraPlus not only supports gum and tooth health, it also naturally freshens breath at the source and gently whitens teeth.

•    Boost your vitamin C intake. What your mother and grandmother told you is true: drink your orange juice! Orange juice isn’t the only way to get vitamin C, though. Many vitamin C supplements are now combined with other immune-boosting supplements. These products are so common that you can likely find them at your local pharmacy, or in the supplement section of your favorite grocery store.

Don’t fall victim to the common cold and flu! When those around you are suffering with a cold or the flu, taking precautions can help you from becoming the next person who needs a sick day.

Choosing the Best Toothpaste

Why Whitening Toothpastes May Not Make You Smile

If you think your smile might be less-than-white, you’re probably tempted to try out a whitening toothpaste.

It’s much easier to stain a smile than it is to whiten it. All you have to do is drink staining beverages, like coffee, tea, cola or red wine, or eat staining foods, like blueberries, beets, spinach or chocolate, and your smile can easily start to yellow.

Did you know that the inside of our teeth – called the dentin – is actually yellow? Is it any wonder then that as we age, the outer layer of our teeth – called the enamel – starts to yellow as well?

And it’s only natural that as our smiles start to get a little less than the really white-white we prefer, we want to reach for what seems like the easiest-to-use whitening product – whitening toothpaste. But what if that toothpaste is actually making your smile more yellow in the long run? It could be.

Whitening toothpastes often contain baking soda, an abrasive that is often used to help remove stains on hard surfaces, from your teeth to your kitchen sink. While these toothpastes may make your teeth whiter at first, ongoing use of whitening toothpastes, however, can roughen the surface of your teeth, attracting more stains.

How About Truly Whitening Your Smile?

What if there was something just as simple to use as toothpaste that could whiten your teeth so gently that it could be used every day? Actually, there is. Probiotic mints are great if you are looking for tooth whitening that is simple, quick, effective and safe. EvoraPlus® contains a patented blend of probiotics that releases a gentle, low-dose of natural hydrogen peroxide that whitens teeth while supporting gum and tooth health and freshening breath.

What’s even better is that EvoraPlus probiotic mints are 100% natural and made in the USA. They are safe and effective!

EvoraPlus oral care probiotics are now available online, as well as at many mass market retailers, including Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Hannaford, Sweetbay and many more. Simply visit Evoraplus.com to see a full listing of the retailers carrying this innovative mint.

If you’re looking for a naturally whiter smile, on-going tooth and gum health and truly fresher breath, try EvoraPlus!

Don’t Skip Appointments!

Are Regular Dental Cleanings Really That Important?

If you are among of the many who brush twice daily and floss once daily, you might think that it’s OK to cut back on trips to the dentist, which, at best, can involve a small investment in time and money. “It’s just a cleaning,” you may reason, as you cancel your appointment, hoping, perhaps, to get back on schedule the next year.

Even if you are diligent with your at-home oral care, routine cleanings are important, and, as far as dentists and hygienists are concerned, non-negotiable.

4 Reasons Not to Skip a Dental Cleaning

Taking Good Care of Your Mouth Means Taking Good Care of Yourself!

Research is now backing what dentists have long known – those with good tooth and gum health have better heart health, are at a lower risk for having a stroke and are even at a lower risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Having a dental cleaning every six months allows the dentist to ensure that your gums are healthy and that any sign of periodontal disease is addressed as soon as possible to avoid progression of the condition.

Early Treatment is Cheaper & Easier Than the Alternative

Minor dental complications, like cavities, can easily be addressed if they are caught early, and the key to catching them early is having them examined by a dentist at least every six months. Treating common dental and periodontal conditions in their early stages can save a significant amount of time and money.

Keep Your Pearly Whites White

Regular dental cleanings help reduce the accumulation of tooth stains – it’s that simple.

Dentists Screen for Oral Cancer

Screening for this deadly disease is far more simple than treating it. During your cleaning and examination, your dentist is screening your head, neck and the inside of your mouth for anything that might indicate further testing is required for oral cancer.

Tipping Our Cups To Green Tea

Green Tea Aids Weight Loss, Fights Gum Disease & More

For the past 4,000 years, green tea has been used in China to address a long, long list of what ails us, from aches and pains to depression to improving digestion and regulating body temperature. Here are some of the things research has proven about this delicious beverage.

Lowers Cholesterol

Research shows that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol while raising HDL (good) cholesterol. It also lowers triglycerides. Researchers have found that the polyphenols in green tea seem to block the intestinal absorption of cholesterol and usher it from the body. Other studies suggest that green tea reduces the blood levels of LDL (harmful) cholesterol.

Promoting Oral Health

Green tea’s antibacterial qualities make it very effective in preventing tooth decay, plaque formation and periodontal disease. Drinking three or more cups of green tea each day is a great way to keep harmful oral bacteria in check.
Another great way to balance the bacteria in your mouth is though the use of oral care probiotics. Probiotics, or beneficial bacteria, live throughout the body and fight daily battles to keep our health on an even keel. Oral care probiotics colonize on tooth surfaces and deep into the periodontal pocket, crowding out harmful bacteria while freshening breath and gently whitening teeth.

Helps Keep Those Extra Pounds at Bay

Green tea is full of catechin polyphenols, which increase fat oxidation and thermogenesis (fat burning). Green tea is especially good at promoting the burning of harmful brown fat cells (good fats in the body, like our brains, are made up of white fat cells). And, because weight gain can be attributed to the excess consumption of sugars, it’s good to know that green tea helps prevent the spikes in insulin caused by high sugar diets by inhibiting the movement of glucose in fat cells.

Dump out whatever is in your cup, and go brew yourself a cup of green tea. Its health benefits are too good to miss out on.

An Important Time to Take Care of Yourself

Oral Care During Chemotherapy

Those undergoing chemotherapy face many struggles, not the least of which is how to manage their oral care.

Because the body’s natural defense line (the white blood cells) is weakened by the medications used during chemotherapy, infections can crop up anywhere in the body. There are several ways you can avoid oral infections during chemotherapy.

See the Dentist

Your dentist will have many strategies to help keep your mouth healthy during chemotherapy. He may even suggest a dental cleaning before your chemo starts to ensure your teeth and gums are as healthy as possible before your treatment begins.

Clean Your Teeth Every Day

Because your gums may be very sensitive during chemotherapy treatments, special care is recommended for keeping your mouth clean and healthy.

Gently brushing twice a day with a soft-bristled tooth brush or a gauze pad will help keep the surfaces of the teeth and gums clean. If your gums are too sensitive for daily brushing, call your dentist. He may want to see you in the office to check on the health of your teeth and gums.

If nausea and vomiting are an issue, brushing your teeth afterward is especially important. Brushing teeth after vomiting not only improves breath, it also removes the acids from the surfaces of the teeth. These acids wear down the surfaces of your teeth and put you at an increased risk for developing cavities.

Add Oral Care Probiotics

Oral care probiotics, like EvoraPlus, can help support tooth and gum health even if your brushing and flossing habits are lacking during chemotherapy. These beneficial bacteria help keep the bacterial balance in the mouth in a healthy ratio. This is especially helpful if your daily oral care routine is interrupted during treatment.

Oral care probiotics support tooth and gum health year-round, not just during chemotherapy treatment. Taking care of your teeth and gums is a good way to take care of your overall health.

Address Ulcers

Mouth ulcers are very common during certain kinds of chemotherapy. These ulcers, which can occur on the lips, gums, insides of the mouth or tongue, often can be prevented by cautious and careful oral hygiene.

Taking care of oral health during chemotherapy is very important. Be sure to share your oral-care concerns with your doctor and your dentist, and do your best to keep your mouth healthy while undergoing treatment.

Lower Your Risk of Periodontal Disease with Dietary Changes

Whole Grains for Heart Health and Gum Health

Looking for a healthy dietary change that can also improve your gum health? Researchers say look no further than whole grains.

In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers announced that, because diabetes and hyperglycemia increase the risk of periodontal inflammation, increasing your daily intake of whole grains and fiber can help offset the risk of developing periodontal disease.

Study participants who replaced their intake of processed grains, like white bread and regular pasta, with whole grains, like whole-grain bread and whole wheat pasta, had a 23% reduction in the incidence of periodontal disease, compared to those who continued to eat processed grains.

Those with the greatest risk reduction ate four servings of whole grains on average by simply replacing servings of processed grains with whole grains. They did not increase their caloric intake when making the switch to whole grains.

How Do Whole Grains Affect Gum Health?

Whole grains lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood, a marker of inflammation associated with periodontal disease, along with high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

To get more good grains in your diet, make all of your grains whole grains. Eat oatmeal, brown rice, whole-grain cereals, whole-grain breads and whole-wheat crackers – all foods where the majority of the grain comes from whole grain.

Eating a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, along with lean proteins like fish and poultry will also lower inflammation and decrease your risk of inflammation-related diseases.

Trunk Flexibility Tied to Heart Health

Study Shows a Simple Flexibility Test May Determine Artery Health

According to a study by the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Tokyo, Japan which was published in the American Journal of Physiology (October 2009; 297(4):1314-8), individuals with less muscle flexibility had higher risks of artery stiffness.

Researchers tested the ability of participants to touch their toes with their fingertips while in a seated position, and their legs flat on the floor. Those with poor truck or body flexibility when tested also had higher arterial stiffness and higher blood pressure.

Arteries stiffen as a consequence of age and arteriosclerosis. Age related stiffness occurs when the elastic fibers within the arterial wall (elastin) begin to fray due to mechanical stress. The two leading causes of death in the developed world, myocardial infarction and stroke, are both a direct consequence of atherosclerosis. Increased arterial stiffness is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. The World Health Organization predicts that in 2010, cardiovascular disease will also be the leading killer in the developing world and represents a major global health problem.

Researchers believe that there may be several reasons for the connection between core trunk muscle flexibility and the health of arteries, but regardless concluded that regular stretching and exercise can have a positive long-term effect on arteries and maintaining a healthy blood pressure.

The Heart-Oral Health Connection

In addition to regular exercise and stretching, many studies have found a connection between the health of the mouth and heart health. Researchers believe that the key to the heart/mouth relationship lies in the gums.

According to a recent study published in the  Journal of Periodontology, people with periodontal disease are at a higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease than those with healthy gums.

The study found that study participants with gum disease had higher levels of harmful bacteria in the bloodstream – up to four times more than study participants with healthy gums.

Got Migraines? It Could Be TMJ

Joint May Contribute to Severe Headaches

Many dentists have found that the source of some patients persistent, severe headaches may be due to harm caused by the temporomandibular joint.

There is little understanding about what causes TMJ or temporomandibular joint syndrome. While many patients have clenching or grinding of the teeth at night, others may have had trauma, osteoarthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis. Many times the cause is unknown. For those with migraine headaches, the constant clenching of the jaw causes muscle spasms in the temples, which then leads to a migraine.

Symptoms of TMJ

Headaches and facial pain: Approximately 80% of those with TMJ complain of a headache, and half of those complain of facial pain that worsens while opening and closing the jaw. Similarly, many who seek appropriate treatment for TMJ find a significant decrease in headaches.

Vertigo (dizziness): About 40% of people with TMJ experience a mild form of dizziness or imbalance.

Issues with ears: One of the most common issues associated with TMJ is ear trouble, including ear pain, a feeling of ear fullness or ringing in the ears. These problems are often resolved once the TMJ is successfully treated.

Difficulty chewing and eating: Because the consistent tightness of the joint can cause it to lock, those with TMJ may find it difficult to get their mouths open far enough to take a bite of food. Even those who don’t have an issue opening their mouths may have trouble chewing due to the tightness of the joint.

Tooth pain and other dental issues: Since those with TMJ often either clench their teeth or grind their teeth, tooth pain can be very common. Severe tooth grinding (bruxism) can cause a loss of tooth enamel over time.

Affordable Dental Care

Website Shows Facilities That Provide Low-Cost Dental Care

With the economy in a serious slump, many families have found themselves cutting back on spending the past couple of years. Car and home sales have slumped, holiday sales have led stores to cut back on inventory and staff and still many continue to look for ways to cut spending.

Families have cut back on all the extras – gifts, travel, vacations, dining out and then some.

No Expense Spared

One expense that families absolutely should not skimp on, however, is regularly scheduled dental care. In fact, keeping teeth clean and maintained is actually more cost effective than skipping a regular cleaning and potentially risking having a serious problem, like a cavity or early stages of periodontal disease (or gingivitis) going undetected while treatment is easier and more cost effective.

And the reasons for keeping those twice-per-year appointments with the dentist don’t end there. With the many diseases that are now being connected to good oral health, including heart disease, kidney failure, diabetes and more, the importance of regular dental maintenance is becoming even more clear.

Making Dentistry More Affordable

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has created a database to help consumers find dental clinics whose fees are based on a sliding-scale structure. To find a dentist near you whose charges are based on how much money you make, visit http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/.

A Little Extra Support

Adding an oral care probiotic like EvoraPlus to your regular brushing and flossing schedule can go a long way toward supporting your tooth and gum health. By creating a basecamp of beneficial bacteria on your teeth and below your gum line, oral care probiotics crowd out harmful bacteria normally found throughout the mouth. EvoraPlus offers the added benefits of freshening breath and gradually, safely and 100% naturally whitening teeth.

Paying a little extra attention to the health of your teeth and gums can actually save you money in the long run.

Got Arthritis? Get Checked for Periodontal Disease

Researchers Find Connection Between Arthritis & Common Oral Care Condition

Those with rheumatoid arthritis have a higher rate of periodontal disease according to a study published in the Journal of Periodontology, but the connection may have more to do with inflammatory conditions than it does oral hygiene and lack of dexterity.

Periodontal disease is a serious gum infection that destroys the soft tissue and bone that support your teeth, according to the Mayo Clinic. Periodontal disease can cause tooth loss or worse, an increased risk of heart attack or stroke and other serious health problems.

Rheumatoid arthritis (commonly referred to as RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that most typically affects the small joints in your hands and feet. Unlike the wear-and-tear damage of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis affects the lining of your joints, causing a painful swelling that can eventually result in bone erosion and joint deformity. It is through this erosion and deformity – and the pain that accompanies it – that those with RA lose the dexterity required to do simple tasks of daily living, like brushing and flossing teeth with ease.

Researchers at Berlin’s Charité-Medical Faculty departments of periodontology and epidemiology found that patients with rheumatoid arthritis were nearly eight times more likely to have periodontal disease compared to healthy control subjects.

The study findings accounted for demographic and lifestyle characteristics, like gender, educational background and tobacco use.

While researchers found that limited manual dexterity due to the constrictions of RA were a factor in the study participants’ oral health, it did not fully explain the association between the two diseases, suggesting that there may be other parameters responsible for the increased prevalence of gum disease in RA sufferers.

Kenneth Kornman, editor of the Journal of the Periodontology, noted that the connection may be as simple as the fact that both RA and gum disease are systemic inflammatory disorders.